Rise of the Fourth Marauder
by KoshKing777
Summary: Peter had always been told that he didn't amount to much, and after a time, he started to believe it himself. Now, in his fifth year at Hogwarts, the shocking intervention of a higher power teaches him otherwise, inspiring him to alter the tragic path of his own fate. This effort pits him against the insane Lord Voldemort in a war to the death. AU, AntiHeroic!Peter, M for a reason.
1. A Spoonful of Nightmares

**A/N: **I'm back! This is my very first attempt at Harry Potter fanfiction, so I invite you to look it over with an appraising eye as you read to see if I'm doing an alright job capturing the universe so far.

I have always been fascinated by the community's visceral hatred for Peter Pettigrew – no other, much more powerful villains are even close to as universally despised in this universe, save for perhaps Umbridge. Likely due to this disdain for his character, there are very few full-length fanfics that have Peter change his ways at any point in his life. I found this to be a rather sorry state of affairs, and thus opted to give this "Peter Redemption Fic" a shot.

It begins before he'd ever dream of betraying his friends, though he is still weak, pathetic, self-hating, and cowardly. I hope to explore the untapped potential of his character here, seeing what might happen if he tried his best to hold to the Light even in the face of insurmountable Darkness. I intend for him to change a great deal throughout the course of the story, and eventually I do believe he may develop some morality and a deeper appreciation for people besides himself, as well as the resolve to stand with everyone against the Dark Lord.

Thus begins my new fic: Rise of the Fourth Marauder!

For those of you who read my two other ongoing Shuffle! fics, please note that I haven't forgotten about them, I'm just experience severe Writer's Block.

**Warning:** In general, this fic will be fairly mild-mannered despite having an M-rating. However, this chapter and a few others will have some quite gory, disturbing content. There is a rape scene in this one, so feel free to skim over that particular section if you don't like reading such things.

**Disclaimer: **Though it should be obvious given the hundreds of thousands of fanfic authors who have written about this wonderful fiction universe before, I deny any ownership whatsoever of the property that is the Harry Potter franchise.

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><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter 1 – A Spoonful of Nightmares Makes the Sanity Go Down**

I stared down my reflection with a frown, sickened by what I saw.

What is wrong with me? Everyone else always seems to just have their lives slide in place at all times…I have trouble just having the confidence to talk to even my very best mates.

And today is the day that I vowed to those same intimidating mates - nice, loyal, sure, but quite intimidating all the same with their obscenely perfect looks and nearly omnipotent mastery of spells – today is the day that I said I'd ask out Alice Fenten. If I was in her shoes today, looking at the overweight, anxious, sniveling arsehole of a kid that I'm looking at right now in the dorm bathroom mirror…I would turn me down and either laugh hysterically or shiver in fright at the idea. I rather felt I'd prefer her to shiver in fright, somehow – I've been laughed at far too many times in my life.

The other Marauders have always somewhat insulated me ever since they took me under their wing in my third year. I've always felt enormous gratitude for this, and it's only when I'm among the four of them that I enjoy people at all…I don't know how I could survive without them.

In general, though, I'm a guy who's always adored being completely, entirely alone. It's only then that I feel complete peace, and no longer have to be constantly attempting to look and act like anything approaching a respectable human being.

However, I'm alone now, and an ominous feeling has still covered me since I awoke. It's possibly due to my imminent embarrassment from surely getting turned down by Alice, the girl I've fantasized about holding in my arms since our first year. She has always been extremely sweet and understanding, not to mention incredibly adorable and fanciable. However, I can't help but feel that my magic is trying to warn me, as it sometimes does, that bad things in general will happen today. I can only hope that her complete rejection will be the worst of it.

"_Orchideous_," I casually cast, smiling with modest pride at the small bouquet that appeared from the tip of my wand despite my unease. I figure flowers can only help my cause. I am fairly certain that, no matter what, when my friends spot Alice today, they'll force me to ask her out at the earliest possible opportunity, so I have to be ready.

My first attempt at anything romantic that wasn't just in my head…was to be today. I gulped, sweat running down my meaty neck. This is terrible.

But I can't change it. Part of being a Marauder and a Gryffindor is sticking to your guns, your mission, and your promises, despite whatever urges you might have to run away screaming.

I quadruple-checked my clothes, my aromatic charms, my complexion, my hair, and my bladder before nodding in shuddering resolve. I know I'm completely doomed. But I'm going now to get this heartbreak over with – it's the price I have to pay for having such great mates.

I clenched my teeth and walked out to the common room, trying to project an aura of determination. My eyes skirted about, looking for Alice. To my chagrin, the adorable, curvaceous, sweet, angelic, PERFECT woman was seated on a couch beside her friends Mary MacDonald and Lily Evans.

The Marauders looked up at me and waved jovially. I'm trapped now. At least I can get it over with!

Blushing and sweating quite charmingly, I began ascending the steps from the boys' dorm when, like I'd been hit with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, my jittering legs gave completely out. Fear and horror filled my mind – there was nothing I hated more than public humiliation!

With a grunt and a whimper, I felt the entire Gryffindor Common Room's eyes on my bulky body as my head bolted straight down, cracking with audible pain on the steps. I tumbled down the rest of the stairs, my body shaking with ridiculous soreness from such a small fall.

I groaned, trying to hold back my tears as laughter enveloped the room. My life will never be something that comes naturally to me…I really do NEED someone to be there for me, someone who won't judge me…and neither my mates nor any girl could ever be that person for me. I am destined to be a broken marionette for the rest of my life.

As quickly as I could, I tried to stand up.

"Here, take my hand," a friendly voice said.

My vision unclear, I gratefully accepted Remus Lupin's offered hand and stood up next to him.

"Are you alright, Peter? That was an awful fall!" he murmured.

I blushed, feeling the whole room still looking at me with deranged amusement. Only Lily, Alice, and Remus seemed compassionate.

"Thanks, mate," I muttered, walking shakily over to the Marauder's corner.

"Graceful fall there, Wormy," James said with a smirk.

"Wasn't it, though?" I said tiredly. I ran my finger along my teeth and winced when I noticed that a couple had loosened during the fall. I'd have to have Madam Pomfrey check them out later on.

"So, ah, I couldn't help but notice that one Alice "Bubble Arse" Fenten is in the room with us," Sirius trailed off meaningfully as Remus took a seat next to him.

"Oh, piss off, Snuffles," I growled, feeling much more mutinous than usual towards the leaders of the Marauders. "Obviously we should make an exception at the moment, seeing how I just certainly lowered her opinion of me even lower than it likely already is."

"Right, but you see," Sirius said, leaning forward conspiratorially and beckoning me closer. "Alice Fenten, who has an incredible arsehole, in case you didn't know…"

"Please stop bringing that up," I sighed. Sirius had stolen away many young, willing witches' innocence since his reign began at Hogwarts. I wished he would have spared my crush from his insatiable appetite, like he had James', but I guess that my unlikeliness to ever capture Alice's eye factored in somewhat. As well as James being someone he respected.

"You can't make me!" Sirius sang, sticking his tongue out. "Anyway, the way I got her arse cupping my todger, see, is that she has a very compassionate heart beneath those supple knockers."

Remus groaned and hid his face in his book as James and I wrinkled our noses at each other in annoyance.

"So, if you go after her while she's feeling sorry for you, you just may get an invite to a broom cupboard with her voluptuous body." Sirius finished, smiling. "I must say, Wormy, I'm proud of your selection for your first prey!"

"I've had her selected since first year!" I groaned.

"But you didn't do anything about it, did you?"

"W-well, I tried, but…"

"Anyway, now you have an obligation to give her a shot," James spoke up with a friendly smile. "That's why we made this deal with you, Wormtail. If we don't do anything to you, you'll never actually come out and make a move on your own!"

"I-I might!" I said indignantly, but I knew they were right.

"Sure, sure, now, off you go!" James said, getting up and prodding me towards the girls.

"Remember, act pitiful and pathetic!" Sirius advised. "And try to look incredibly sexy while doing so! And only look at her baps with your peripheral vision."

"I'll try my best," I sighed. I paused a moment, called upon my hidden Gryffindor courage from deep within my chest, and strode forward with desperate insistence.

Sirius and James promptly began singing "For he's a jolly good fellow" before I turned around and violently signaled for them to cut it out.

Very aware that several eyes were still on me – didn't they have anything better to look at? – I made my way over to Alice's couch. I was startled when Lily abruptly stood up, stretching in a way that could only be described as incredibly sexy. I gulped. How am I supposed to be able to talk to beings as psychotically beautiful as these girls? The Ravenclaws in our year were the homely ones – perhaps if I was sorted there, I would have been able to stand my ground and talk with girls better in general. But no. I'd fallen in love with Alice Fenten.

And here I go.

As Lily suggested that they go down to breakfast, I cleared my throat squeakily. As she and the two seated girls looked at me curiously, I shakily walked around the couch so I could see Alice, my heart firing off like a thunderstorm.

"I, um…I-I-I, um…" I fidgeted, feeling for all the world completely nutters, "W-would it be alright if I s-s-spoke to Alice in p-p-private?" I said, my words sounding slightly like begging to my ears.

Mary looked at me like I must be mental, Lily smiled prettily, and Alice just looked confused.

"Just whose permission are you asking, Peter?" Lily grinned. "We don't control Alice's every move!"

I silently cursed her for making me ask the humiliating question again, but shakily made eye contact with the girl I'd desired for so long. As our eyes met, my body ran cold with shivers. I'm perpetually nervous in general, but I felt well and truly over the brink of panic then.

"Uh, Alice, c-c-c…"

She was kind enough to save me the humiliation and got up, moving to my side with a warm grin to me that melted my insides and made me uncontrollably giddy and completely unable to function at all. "Of course we can speak in private, Peter," she said in a delicate murmur that made my heart detonate repeatedly. "Go on down now, girls, I'll see you in a bit!"

Lily and Mary abruptly got up and left Alice standing next to me…VERY next to me, in fact…bloody hell.

"So, to what do I owe the honor of a visit from one of the Marauders?" she asked me coyly.

"Alice, I…" I took a deep breath. "Oh! Th-these are for you!" I exclaimed, shoving the bouquet I'd magically designed to her…noticing only after I did so that the flowers were looking a bit worse for the wear after I'd flattened them during my fall.

She giggled as I said, "Oh, crap! Um, _Orchideous_!" With a lavender-colored flash, I crafted a new bouquet for her, and handed it over. "Th-there you go," I said, with a slightly hysterical laugh. "Now you can have two bouquets, one only slightly buggered."

"You are too kind, sir!" she smiled. "Thank you."

Wow. WOW! She didn't react negatively! What do I do? What do I DO? I hadn't prepared for such an eventuality!

My teeth shuddering from my hyperactive nerves, I said, "A-a-a-alice, I…I have always found you to b-be one of the n-n-nicest, most amazing, and c-c-certainly most, um, uh, beautiful g-girls..." Her eyes widened in surprise. "W-w-wait, I mean, to me, you ARE the nicest, most amazing, and m-m-most beautiful girl, um…in, um…in Hogwarts." I ended with a sheepish smile.

Her mouth hung open for a bit before she recomposed herself, blushing slightly. That blush made my heart stop completely. I…ME, Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew made Alice bloody Fenten blush? I could now die happy. I was very tempted to stop now before I ruined things.

"Why, thank you, Peter – that's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me!"

"So, um, s-so…" I looked at her in abject fear. I took one final breath and then said it, unfortunately loud enough for the entire room to hear: "Would you like to go out with me?"

I heard the Marauders whoop and cheer behind me, and I smiled briefly but kept my gaze focused on Alice's reaction.

"W-well, Peter," she said, quite red now, "I…I'm sorry but…"

A very, very bad sort of chill descended upon me.

No. No! I don't want to…I CAN'T hear what she's about to say! What do I do? Perhaps I can put her under an Imperius Curse? No, no, she probably would still find the resolve to hate me even if the Dark Lord himself Imperiused her to love me.

"I…I don't think I have those sort of feelings for you, Peter," she said, looking quite apologetic. Despair and gloom filled me as I stared blankly at her. "It's just…you know…I think you're a really sweet guy, I really do, and…"

My first and only love…hates me. I can read between the lines! She's just too damned nice and perfect to say it.

No dignity left in me at all, I collapsed to the floor, fell to one knee and bowed to her, genuflecting as low as possible. "Alice, please, I BEG of you! You are the only person I've ever loved! Please, just give me a chance! I promise I'll make you happy! I'll do anything you want!"

There was a long silence. I grimaced, listening hard for any reaction. My ears were wringing, my body shivering.

"Peter," she said, very seriously, "You aren't listening to me. I don't, and probably never will…have feelings for you. You don't want me to pity-date you, do you?"

"Of COURSE I do! Just having you in my life at all would be heaven!"

She crouched down in front of me and tipped my chin up. It was very, VERY difficult for me to not look up her skirt or at her shapely chest, but I tried as hard as I could to not betray her dignity with my eyes. "You're such a sweetheart, Peter, but…I'm at a place right now where I'm looking for someone who I want to be with forever…and I just know that that person isn't you. And you deserve someone who loves you as much as you love them."

"I deserve? What on earth…have you SEEN me? I don't deserve anyone at all! I'm pathetic…" I stared at her with tear-rimmed eyes, struggling to keep my face from twisting into a sob. "I c-c-certainly don't deserve you, and I'm sure that's why you turned me down. I knew you would. I just knew it."

I got up then and grimaced, looking away from her deliriously beautiful, concerned face. "I'm sorry if I didn't handle this with the proper decorum," I said snidely. "You're the first girl I've ever asked out, you see."

"Peter, come here," she said, looking a bit upset. I didn't need to be told twice as she swept me up into an intimate embrace.

I'd only ever hugged my mother before.

But this was incredible! I could feel every delicate, perfect contour of her body pressed gingerly against my hideously overweight one. I tried my best to memorize the precise feel of her curves, her skin, her touch, and her pretty hair dangling against the side of my face.

She pulled away then, and once again I had to summon ALL my willpower not to look at her breasts. "I'll always be your friend, okay? I'm sorry things couldn't be different."

I nodded emptily. "Yeah, me too."

She kissed me on the cheek and smiled painfully beautifully as she walked out the portrait door, leaving me in my ruin. I turned around after a dejected, bashful moment and nearly collided with the 7th year Gryffindor Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Blimey, watch where you're headed, fatty!" he chuckled. "You wouldn't want to besot my incredibly alluring self with your floppy fat rolls, now would you?"

"Sorry," I said, bowing my head to him in apology.

"Chin up, you ugly blighter!" he sang, slapping me lightly in the face. "Do you know what I like to do when the ladies don't want to open their snatches for the most incredibly desirable man in the world?"

"…masturbate?"

"No, of course not!" he beamed. "I sing like the sexy piece of arse that I am! Allow me to demonstrate…"

"Lockhart, I'm really not in the…"

He ignored me and launched into a jaunty song, hopping around on one leg as he did so. "IIIIIIIIIIf you're down on your luck and you just don't give a fuck, and you're wallowing in the muck, then she's squirting – better duck! Then you…"

I regained my mental faculties enough to walk away from him as he continued to dance and sing while several Gryffindor women of evidently questionable intelligence stared at him with open desire. However, not two steps away, Lockhart abruptly shut up and skipped over to block my path back to my mates.

"I jest, I jest!" he grinned brilliantly. "Now then, clearly she didn't give you the whole story!"

"Why would I EVER possibly listen to you?"

"Because I was there the entire time, old chap! And I don't know if you noticed, but I am quite the Casanova with the lady types!" He shimmy-shaked his shoulders about with apparent delight. "Now listen, the lovely Miss Alice neglected to give you any solid reason for disliking you enough to not even give you a chance…"

"She said she just didn't like me," I said gloomily.

"No. One doesn't "just not like someone" to that extent without extra deterrents, dear boy! Do you follow? Most likely, she thinks you're fat and ugly to the point that you literally suffocate her desire. In addition, you never display any confidence whatsoever! And take it from someone who just exudes confidence like the scent of wild fig berries in the morning wind – ladies like a confident chap!"

I grimaced, realizing that he was probably right.

He patted me on the shoulder. "Normally I'd suggest that you should work on fixing those few problems…but I daresay you're beyond hope. Do yourself a favor and don't even try to make a move on any other women that aren't cross-dressers, savvy? It'll only save you heartache in the-URGH!"

James clocked him in the face, causing the older boy to fall flat on the ground, dazed. I smiled appreciatively at my awesome mate but my eyebrow started twitching as several fawning girls swooped down and tended to Lockhart.

"Bloody hell, that guy's annoying," James muttered, rubbing his knuckles.

"I'm sorry about Alice, Peter…it seemed like you gave it your all." Remus told me sympathetically.

"Yeah, err…I was hoping you'd be able to experience the awe and wonder of her naked body," Sirius put in with a glinting smile. "She would've been a great first for you."

I glared at him a moment, but I looked back down at the floor after a moment. "Well…at least…now I don't have unrealistic expectations."

The group was quiet for a second. When I looked up, I noticed that something had changed. The three of them had put my rather nightmarish morning out of mind, and had moved on to the normal topics of conversation – precisely, anything that didn't involve me. Quidditch, Lily, food, pranks…ordinarily I enjoyed listening to their glorified dialogue and attempting to get a word in edgewise. But not today.

I decided to go back to the dorm and hole up there for day, and was approaching the stairs when I heard Remus say "Peter? You coming to breakfast?"

I sighed, turning to look at them with my watery eyes. "I'm…good, today, thanks."

Remus nodded, sympathy in his eyes. "I understand. Would you like me to take notes for you in class?"

"That would be very much appreciated," I grinned with relief. "Thanks, Remus!" I smacked right into a pole sticking out of the staircase rail as I turned back around, to the snickers of some nearby students.

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><p>For a long time, I lay sprawled on my bunk, eyes wide open. I never expected anything different to happen today with Alice. So why do I feel even more worthless than usual?<p>

I sighed, unable to avoid my thoughts – a ratlike voice, which sometimes talks to me in my head, kept insulting every little thing about me.

_You should've made an excuse and ran away like the little coward you are. You should have known that a goddess like Alice would never deign to lower herself to you!_

I know…I know…I know…

_You're hideous_.

Can't argue with that.

_Never try to match the others, you'll never amount to anything._

They are far too incredible…better just to keep making sure they tolerate me.

_You're incredibly stupid._

Hey, that's not true! I could be smarter if I tried to apply myself!

_You have no spine._

My back is indeed made out of rubber.

_You're so pathetic, you can't even fly a broom!_

I don't see how anyone CAN balance on those things!

_You're a pervert. The only lover you'll ever have is your own hand._

Ouch! But true on both counts, though I don't want it to be so.

_Your acne is terrible._

It's not THAT bad!

_You sweat more than any spell could ever cure._

…yeah.

_No amount of cologne could cover up your smell._

Do I really smell that bad?

_You can't control your bladder when you're nervous!_

That was only…um…four times! But, you're right…no one will ever forget that…I'll always be ridiculed by anyone who knows of those times…

_You'll never live up to your family name. No one even likes you, amongst all your relatives!_

…well, at least they pretend to.

_Look at you, skipping class when it's the only way you could improve yourself!_

I don't have the will to go today…

_You're weak willed!_

Tell me about it.

_Everyone who has ever known you will never take you seriously, forevermore._

…

_You, Peter Pettigrew…are a failure. You're even worse than a failure…_

_You are NOTHING._

I am nothing. That's what am I. I'm just a whisper of a person, never striving to be or achieve anything.

Reality began wavering as thoughts emptied from my mind. I finally knew stillness…

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><p>The silence morphed and took my dazed mind through a mass of colors and images. I lost track of the passage of time, letting my mind wander through astral planes, golden spheres of bizarre designs, and infinite emptiness itself.<p>

Some time later, I felt a curious presence that was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I've always had a vague awareness for people and their auras…and this presence felt…musty…old…alien…and somehow both frightening and comforting at once.

"Who…who's there?" I moved my lips. All I could see was darkness and a few golden equilateral triangles floating about. I couldn't feel the ground at all. Where the hell was I? Certainly not in Hogwarts anymore.

"Hello, young kit," I FELT something say. I didn't hear it at all. I just comprehended its words with my body. "My title is Avaxeous. You would do well to commit it to memory."

I couldn't see this Avaxeous' shape whatsoever, but I could sense it. Somehow, I realized it was masculine, but also feminine. It carried with it a number of auras that I'd never felt before.

Neither of us communicated with the other for a long moment. I struggled to think with my sluggish mind before deciding upon saying "What can I do for you?"

"Very good. You have a servant's heart, young kit. And you have the power to prevent great tragedy. Now, observe."

While I disagreed fundamentally that I had any power with which to do anything, I kept my mouth shut and looked on as the blankness of astral space gave way to a vivid scene in front of me.

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><p>In the moving image, I saw myself…or, to be precise, I saw an older version of myself bowing to an eerie figure who was deathly pale…and who had glowing red eyes.<p>

"The Dark Lord," I realized aloud in awe and fear. I realized that this may be the future…though the fact that the future me was bowing at all to that thoroughly wicked creature was sickening. Surely I would never willingly bow to such a person! But the scene moved to show my arm, which was quivering profusely, as the Dark Lord said, in a calm though vaguely enraged voice. "And you, Wormtail? Do you desire to commune with my Brotherhood of Purity and Darkness?"

"I d-d-do desire it," the future me said, causing me to gasp and pale in horror. What the bloody fuck? How could ANY version of me possibly say such a thing?

"Will you serve me and me alone for the rest of your life?" the Dark Lord continued, looking bored and contemptuous.

I better not! Ask for death first! Kill yourself now, you miserable prick!

"I will be your loyal slave for all time, my master, even in death."

I screamed disjointedly from horror and a complete lack of any grounds on reality! It couldn't be true! It wasn't possible! Yet…I felt…watching those, I somehow understood, perhaps with Avaxeous' assistance, that they were things that were to happen in my own lifetime.

After I'd calmed down a bit, still seething as I viewed the Dark Lord brand me with a Dark Mark, the scene changed.

* * *

><p>I was now viewing a town lit up with a strange blue hue. Bizarre flames the color of a bluebird feathers wrapped all around the village. Everything was deathly quiet.<p>

One Death Eater stood in the middle of the street, in front of a shaking redhead girl whom I didn't recognize. Lily? No…it wasn't her…but I still felt drawn to her somehow.

"Don't Peter!" she pleaded, making my blood run cold with terror. I'd never heard a woman so upset say my name before…it wasn't an experience I wanted again. I could hear the fear and betrayal that she felt towards me in her words. "You're better than this."

"And I will continue to grow in power," the Death Eater version of myself told her from behind his mask. "Goodbye, Tessa. _Avada Kedrava_!" The girl began to cast a Protego Horribilus to block it, but was too late…I watched with violent distaste and self-hatred as the girl collapsed to the bloodstained ground, now no more than a pile of bones and organs.

I had never seen a dead person before, and by the time I brought myself back to watching the vision, I realized the future me – Death Peter, I'll call him – was heading hurriedly towards the sound of loud screaming. Death Peter seemed deeply distraught, and I certainly was…the person screaming sounded like she was being raped.

And I was disgusted to see, when Death Peter turned the corner, that Lucius Malfoy had a girl under some sort of rope-binding hex and was having his way with her in the middle of the alley.

"Please, help…whoever you are! PLEASE! NO!" the girl exploded with stark, insane terror. She had brilliant, gorgeous white hair, despite looking no older than twenty. But her beauty was made quite disturbing by the predicament she was in. Lucius had covered her innocent, delicate body with freshly-bleeding gashes, and her breasts were punctured by hundreds of needles.

I had never seen a naked woman before…and I couldn't help staring in innocent fascination…but the scene proved too grotesque for me to handle. As Lucius continued raping and torturing the suffering girl, I couldn't help vomiting from sheer inability to mentally cope with what I was seeing.

"Quiet, you!" Lucius drawled, sounding far, FAR too happy for this situation. "_Sectumsempra_! _Sectumsempra_! _Sectumsempra_!" I was unable to keep watching as the curse repeatedly flayed her alabaster body, ripping gallons of blood from her.

Death Peter seemed quite disturbed. "Stop, Lucius!" He commanded. I was somewhat proud of myself – even as a Death Eater, I hadn't sunk low enough to tolerate that. "You can't do this! She's a pureblood!"

"Don't presume to tell me what I can or can't do, Wormtail!" Lucius hissed at Death Peter. As he continued to hump her from behind amidst her ragged screams, he grabbed her needle covered breast and squeezed, stabbing them further in. Her moans went up several octaves to screeches.

"PETER! PETER! HELP! HEEEELP MEEE!" the white haired victim screamed.

"Go! Kill him now!" I demanded of my future self.

"_Verdimillious_!" Death Peter cast, summoning a lance of green energy that arced toward Lucius menacingly. Without even stopping humping her, Lucius waved his hand and redirected the energy away from him.

"_Crucio_!" Lucius cast on the girl, and her body shook violently, blood foaming out of her mouth and erupting from all her open gashes.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah," he murmured, picking up his pace as the girl continued to fall apart at the seams.

"_Sectumsempra_! _Aqua Eructo_! _Avada Kedrava_!" Death Peter cast at Lucius in quick succession. He brought up a few shields to block them.

He chuckled wryly. "You are too weak, Wormtail. I would punish you, but you are just so hilariously inept that it wouldn't even matter." He then silently cast an Entrail-Expelling Curse on the beautiful lady, effectively making her a shell of skin and bones, without any organs left. Her intestines and all attached organs burst forth out her belly as blood poured out from her mouth and every other inch of her. Her face was purple now, and she kept gasping but couldn't seem to get any air.

"Ahh…I always like to finish with that. You might try it sometime," Lucius said as he pulled out, his own penis covered in her blood. Death Peter shuddered as Lucius proceeded to Sectumsepra her quivering husk of flesh repeatedly until she was clearly dead.

I began weeping uncontrollably for this girl I'd never met before…my feelings were exploding in a hundred different directions.

* * *

><p>The scene changed, showing me back at the Dark Lord's side.<p>

"What news, Wormtail? Where are they hiding the boy spoken of in the prophecy?" the red-eyed echo of a man asked me in a slimy voice.

A boy in a prophecy? What the hell was he on about? Regardless, I felt rather relieved that there didn't look to be any visceral rapes in this vision. I also found something about the Dark Lord disturbingly enticing. I listened in to hear what my older self had to say.

He hesitated for a few seconds, before saying, "M-m-my lord, they live in Godric's Hollow in West Country, England. The-the-the Potter cottage is there."

My eyes widened. Did…did I seriously just deliver James to the Dark Lord on a silver platter?

"Ahh…perfect." The Dark Lord looked quite pleased, and visibly relaxed. "Let us nip this troublesome little prophecy in the bud, shall we? I daresay the Chosen One will have a difficult time slaying me from the grave!"

All the Death Eaters and my future self laughed politely. I found myself thinking furiously, looking intently at everyone I could see in the vision. There were only four Death Eaters whose faces I could see – Death Peter's, Lucius', Bellatrix Black's, and Snape's. I growled, beginning to tire of these visions. The Marauders and I could kill them all now, before any of this happened!

* * *

><p>The scene changed again, and I had a feeling that I wouldn't enjoy this vision much at all. I winced as a slightly older James Potter opened the door with a "Hullo?" only to come face-to-face with the towering form of the Dark Lord.<p>

"_Protego Maxima_!" James cast, evidently ready for an attack.

The Dark Lord counterattacked with a bright, bluish-white bolt that illuminated the entire street. James staggered backwards, his brief shield completely vaporized.

"_Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Duro!_" James managed to send out the three almost simultaneously, but the Dark Lord wordlessly absorbed the spells before smirking and silently casting a purple slash of fire that hit James and knocked him out cold.

"_Transmogrify!_" the Dark Lord cast with almost a chuckle of amusement in his voice.

James seemed unprepared for this spell, and I felt my stomach drop as I watched my loyal, compassionate mate drop to the ground and begin screaming high-pitched in torturous pain - quite unlike his normally stoic self.

"James!" I heard a feminine voice cry out from above, in the scene. I winced, feeling even guiltier now – he had a girl with him…and a son, probably, given the conversation in the last scene.

I watched with watery eyes as the Dark Lord grinned ferally upwards. The girl must have been looking down at them from a staircase. "And the ugly mudblood wretch makes her entrance! How droll! I'll be with you in a minute, luv!" the Dark Lord said evenly, clearly enjoying himself.

"Lily – RUN! Get away!" James said desperately between spasms, although it barely sounded like him. His body was changing shape in grotesque ways, causing him clearly intense pain.

Lily, huh? I felt a brief surge of happiness for James – apparently at some point he was finally able to be in a relationship with the one girl he'd ever cared about. But I felt rather complicit in the Dark Lord being here with them, likely to kill the beautiful couple…even though it was my future self who turned them in…I still felt sickened and horrified that I could ever do such a thing.

With a wave of his wand, the Dark Lord raised the now unrecognizably twisted form of James Potter into the air and proceeded to use another silent spell to rip James in half at the torso, blood fountaining from him. "_Expulso,_" the Dark Lord said cheerfully, chuckling to himself as what was left of James exploded into a liquid state with a deafening crack. "You were an amusing pureblood whelp to slaughter, Mr. Potter," the Dark Lord informed the blood that coated the entire room. "I hope your fellows in the Order of Phoenix provide as much enjoyment. Now! On to the main event!"

I watched with despair as the Dark Lord stomped up the steps with a sinister smile on his steps. So help me, if he torture-rapes Lily too, then I might as well shoot myself in the head! I can't think of anything I'd rather see less.

"Stay back! Don't hurt my Harry!" Lily warned, looking even more vibrant and gorgeous than she currently did at school. My breath actually hitched from how heavenly she looked. James was a lucky man…before…

"He won't feel a thing, my dear," the Dark Lord said. "I'm afraid, however, that his death is non-negotiable."

"I'll die before you touch him," Lily cried out, grief strangling her angelic voice.

The Dark Lord continued, ignoring her. "I have been asked to preserve your life, however, and I'd be happy to do so, seeing as you couldn't possibly be a threat to me. Apparently one Severus Snape fancies you enough to beg for me to spare you."

"_Expecto Patronum_!" Lily cast the charm, producing a beautiful crystalline doe.

"Very nice," the Dark Lord complimented mockingly before dissipating it with the wave of his hand. "I am invincible, you know. Why not embrace the coming of a new era? You are newly single, after all! Why not offer your sexual services to my noble and quite loyal servant Mr. Snape? I guarantee you'd be loved and well cared for!"

Lily hiccupped in grief, holding a shaky wand to him. "Please don't…please…take me instead, and spare Harry's life!"

The Dark Lord rolled his bright red eyes. "Leave it to a mudblood to be hopelessly moronic. Oh well. _Avada Kedrava_!" she let out a bloodcurling scream and fell to the ground, quite lifelessly. I shuddered and vomited again at the sight. He watched her for a moment before shrugging , walking over to the crib, and stomping violently on her skull a few times in a seemingly random fit of rage. Once her cranium was sufficiently shattered, he held Harry aloft and pinned his wand to the infant's forehead.

* * *

><p>The scene changed again. Any relief I might have felt at narrowly avoiding viewing James's son's probable murder was soon cut short as I realized a much, much older Sirius was in a dark, indoor room with a stone floor, dueling wordlessly and very rapidly with an also much older Bellatrix. Both looked quite mentally disturbed, and I gathered that the slaughter of James's family was likely the cause of Sirius's apparent grief and mental trauma. No evidence of my wisecracking, supportive playboy mate was discernible in the man. As they dueled, I looked around for familiar faces and caught a glimpse of an also-haggard looking Remus. Good…he had survived this long. I didn't see myself anywhere…and I somewhat hoped I'd died by this point…I rather disliked this version of myself.<p>

I saw Sirius gradually get more confident, but I winced and somewhat saw it coming when his cousin managed to hit him with a Killing Curse. I looked away from the frighteningly lifeless look in his eyes as he fell backwards through a swirling arch of some kind of energy.

* * *

><p>I was a bit startled when the scene changed yet again. Why the hell was this future so TERRIBLE?<p>

This time, I had to squint my eyes to see what was happening – there were figures wrestling on the floor of a lightless dungeon. Another, a boy whose red hair was discernible even through the darkness, looked on silently. I wondered at first why they weren't fighting with magic, but realized that they must all have been stripped of their wands.

I then noticed that one figure on the ground had a shimmering silver hand. After my eyes adjusted, I realized, with some disgust, that one of the two was Death Peter, but he looked much, much uglier and more decrepit than usual. He was actually so hideous that it was terrifying. I shuddered but looked on, wondering why this hopeless version of myself was even fighting a child at all.

"Don't, Wormtail…remember your friends!" the boy said, struggling admirably against the vice grip of Death Peter's silver hand. I looked at my future self with disgust. Where on earth had I gone wrong? It would have better if he'd died a long time ago.

"Quiet! The Dark Lord will reward me for finishing you, Potter!" Death Peter growled, dodging the kid's punches and kicks as he continued strangling. I supposed this boy must be some relative of James' – which would explain why the kid was trying to appeal to Death Peter's former allegiance with his family.

"You…owe me…a life debt…Wormtail…" Potter grounded out.

"I don't owe you any-"

"You would be dead if I hadn't stopped them from killing you! You know this!" Potter coughed painfully.

Death Peter hesitated, quite obviously, for a moment, during which the silver hand abruptly dropped Potter's neck and crunched upwards around his own neck.

I had by now caught on to the theme of these visions, and was hardly surprised that I was to watch my future self perish. Unlike the others, I felt a kind of sick fascination at seeing my own demise – Death Peter certainly deserved it.

So as droplets of blood spilled out from Death Peter's neck and the two kids attempted to pull the hand off him (quite kindly of them, actually, considering he'd just been trying to murder one of them), I just looked on intently. What I was watching was justice for the betrayal of James. Memorizing the pain and horror on Death Peter's face would be something I'd use from now on to remind myself of just what could happen if I made all the wrong choices in life.

I decided, once and for all, that this would not be me…no matter what.

* * *

><p>I had half expected the series of visions to be over, but now found myself in a place I recognized very well – the Shrieking Shack. Instant contentment rushed over me just from being here – it was in this building that I had first known true friendship between me and my mates. Endless fond memories rushed through me, and I used the positive feelings to brace myself for the likely horror I was about to witness.<p>

Expecting to watch Remus's demise, I was surprised to look about and see only an older Severus Snape and someone I assumed to be the Dark Lord, although his appearance had changed monstrously since I'd last seen him at Godric's Hollow.

"Let me find the boy…I know I can find him, my Lord. Please."

I stared at the older Snape in surprise. He looked like he'd taken far better care of himself than the future versions of Sirius, Remus, and I…he actually looked much more noble and graceful than he'd ever looked in my world. I wondered if he had prospered due to serving the Dark Lord…but that didn't explain why Death Peter was in such a sorry state. Perhaps Snape just blossomed later in life.

The Dark Lord, unfortunately for Snape, didn't seem moved by the appeal. "I'm sorry, Severus, but you must do this one last task to serve your Lord. You have been an adequate servant."

"No…" Severus whispered, gripping his wand.

"Goodbye." The Dark Lord cut sideways with his wand, ripping a gouge through Snape's neck which splashed the whole of the Shrieking Shack with his splattered blood. "Feed, Nagini," the snakelike man said, waving a hand at an enormous monster of a snake that had been coiled in the corner. The beast launched itself at the man who had so often been the Marauders' victim, feasting on him like it was starving.

It was certainly unpleasant to watch, and I felt a little bad for him getting betrayed by the man he'd sworn allegiance to. But he had surely committed countless sins as a Death Eater, and I'd never much liked the bloke anyway, so my horror was somewhat muted. No one wants to watch a person get devoured by a mini-basilisk, however. I did wonder why Avaxeous chose to show me this particular vision. I suppose it had its reasons.

* * *

><p>The last vision placed me inside Hogwarts, which looked much the same as it did today…besides the fact that corpses littered the stairs. There must be a battle here in the future…likely connected with the Dark Lord's presence in the Shrieking Shack.<p>

It certainly didn't look like the Hogwarts side was winning, judging from the number of dead students strewn throughout the place.

I felt quite emotionally distant, now, but braced myself when I noticed Remus Lupin dueling a hairy Death Eater on a staircase that seemed content to swing around in midair. It almost seemed to be attempting to dislodge the wizards riding it.

I didn't want to see Remus die…even more so than I didn't want to see Sirius or James, I realized. I wondered why, since I'd always privately feared him for being a werewolf. I suppose it was due to the fact that he had always been one of the kindest people in my life, even in the throes of his hairy little problem. He'd never fail to give our victims a compassionate look, and would always offer to help out anyone who was needy or alone. He was…a great man, I realized, now that I understood I was about to see him die.

"I don't want to watch this," I mouthed.

"This is the future. You must watch," I felt Avaxeous respond.

As this being seemed incredibly powerful, I decided it would be best to follow its instructions, despite my grief.

Sure enough, the Death Eater soon put Remus on the defensive and faked him out with a few wordless spells before hitting him with a quick Killing Curse. Tears dripped from my eyes once more as I watched his lifeless corpse tumble down the stairs, the Death Eater kicking it in amusement as it rolled past.

* * *

><p>The vision stopped abruptly and I found myself floating in darkness again, but for a few golden triangles spinning about me.<p>

"Now you know what will be, young kit," Avaxeous told me, seeming to confirm my theory about these being visions of the future.

"Why?"

"I do not understand your question," I felt it say. "Do with your life what you will."

"Peter! Peter Pettigrew!" I heard a very quiet voice say from somewhere far, far above this black, golden realm. It seemed urgent.

Curious, I tried to focus on this voice.

* * *

><p>As I did so, I suddenly erupted from the void-like realm and back into reality. My head was spinning and the voice was deafeningly loud now, like it was under a Sonorus.<p>

"Peter, wake up! Are you alright?" Lily Evans' voice flattened me.

"Yes, yes, please stop screaming!" I winced. My ears rang with a high pitched note, making my eyes water, and I felt incredibly nauseous.

"Oh, good!" After a moment, I turned to look at her, shakily. She continued, "You vomited in your sleep."

I turned my head to my right and, sure enough, my sheets and bed were matted with a cake of vomit…I think from when I saw Lucius…I shuddered at the memory.

"You're lucky you did it to the side," she said, gently, "rather than choking on it. Do you feel alright now?"

"I don't think…I'll ever feel alright again," I shivered, wrapping the filthy blankets around me. I was basically in a state of shock about everything I'd just experienced.

"I'm really sorry about Alice," Lily said in a hushed voice. "It's too bad she wouldn't give you a try."

"Alice?...Oh. Oh, right." I had completely forgotten about the reason I came up here. That whole fiasco seemed so trivial now…even my earlier despair seemed like a waste of energy. I had seen too much…I would have never wanted to see someone die in any scenario, and I'd just seen all my friends…

I lurched forward again, vomit spewing out from my throat.

After a moment of silence, Lily cast "_Tergeo_!" and I felt the vomit slip off my face and bedding into nothingness.

"Thanks," I croaked, struggling to sit up and look at her. "Er…wh-what are you doing in here anyway?" It was a little strange and comforting to see her alive again…I felt rather ominous, however, about what was to come in her not-too-distant future. Merlin knows I would like to change things…

"Well…I came to find you and bring you to Potions." Lily said, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on one leg. "Seeing as you didn't attend Herbology this morning, I assumed you were planning on skipping classes for the day in light of Alice rejecting you. However…you seem to not be feeling very healthy."

I very briefly checked her gorgeous body out, as I often did, but was surprised to see that I felt quite disgusted at the very idea of thinking of her sexually. I wonder if it had something to do with watching that rape…or perhaps just watching her get killed…or witnessing her actually being married to James.

I nodded my head twice dumbly. "M-maybe I should go see Madam Pomfrey."

"Yes, but…" Lily looked a little intent on reaching some sort of conclusion. "Today is the day Professor Slughorn is pitting the two best Gryffindors against the two best Slytherins! And you're the best Potioneer in our year besides Severus and myself!" I could see her competitive streak flash in her gorgeous green eyes. I now understood what she wanted from me.

Potions is the one subject that I seem to have a knack for, although Slughorn never seems to acknowledge me…he appears to think I'll never amount to anything of value. Lily and the rest of the Marauders, however, have all said I'm a fair Potioneer.

I sighed. "How m-m-much time till P-p-potions class begins?"

Looking excited, she clasped her hands together and smiled. "In twenty minutes."

I nodded. "Er…let me shower right quick…I'll m-m-meet you down there, alright? It'll be the one class I go to today."

"I'll wait in the common room!" she beamed. "I hope you feel better soon!"

"And Lily," I said quietly, "please don't come in here uninvited. You never know if we'll be decent or not."

She wrinkled her nose in apparent distaste at the resulting mental picture. "Good thinking."

As I walked to the bathroom and quickly stripped for my shower, I realized with much confusion that Lily had evidently been watching me sleep for a bit. I wonder why?

* * *

><p>After I took a brief shower and tripped down the stairs to meet her, we began the long descent to the dungeons.<p>

"So, I'm really sorry about Alice, Peter. I can put in a word for you, if you want!"

"I, um…it's okay, you don't need to bother," I said with a nervous smile. "She clearly…"

"…isn't thinking things through logically." Lily ran a hand through her incredible hair, looking like a professional model at every single moment. "Love is just like any other subject. You can make sense of it by looking at it from a detached, logical point of view."

I nodded dazedly, and vaguely listened to her go on about her theories on love. My mind could NOT get the grisly images that I'd witnessed out of my head. Death Peter had betrayed them…and directly killed some redhead girl. Lucius…is a complete monster that needs to be ripped into shreds for what he did to that poor girl. I don't know if I can ever unsee what he did to her. I certainly can't stop seeing her body in precise, macabre detail with every step I take. It's driving me mental! I always used to try and picture the naked bodies of any girls who'd walk past me, but when I try that now after seeing what Lucius did, I just feel horrible and sickened at myself. And then Lily and my friends, and even Snape…all dead…

What do I do now? Perhaps I should pay more attention in Divination. I have absolutely no knowledge on how to handle having seen these visions.

What are some absolutes, then? Things that I can for sure take away from this?

Hmm…

For one, I now know that, in the future, I apparently become a Death Eater, betray my friends, murder innocent people, and remain hideous and pathetic until the day I die. Sirius, Remus, Snape, and the mysterious white-haired girl all seem to be murdered without any input from my traitorous actions, however.

The question is…how fluid is the future? Can I alter any of these events? I don't see why not. For the Death Eater one, it'd be just as easy as saying "No. I'd rather die," or not being in that predicament in the first place. I could also just off myself here and now, couldn't I? That could prevent some of these events from happening. Not all, but some. And it certainly would change the future, wouldn't it? I didn't really fancy ending my life, but at least I could take a risk and allow my friends to live a better life.

But the Dark Lord would still be out there, wouldn't he? It looked like he was winning in the future, and quite capable of murdering my friends anyway.

Perhaps Avaxeous showed me these visions because it wanted me to do something to prevent the Dark Lord from carrying out his reign. If I killed myself without first trying to stop the Dark Lord, then I would have done nothing to stop the bleakness of the future from happening. Right? Clearly, everything is dark and ruinous in those visions – there must be SOMETHING I can do to change that fate from becoming reality. But even with the small pieces of information I do have…what kind of edge could that possibly give me or my friends? The Dark Lord seemed entirely untouchable and nearly omnipotent…

I looked to Lily, who was now discussing the Charms homework from last night with me as I kept nodding to her and grunting disinterested responses.

I suddenly thought of someone who would most likely have a use for my information.

Dumbledore. He would surely be able to help!

Thus resolved to pay a visit to the Headmaster after class, I dazedly tried to enter back into Lily's conversation as we continued our descent to the dungeon.

I froze on the way down one swinging staircase that had new significance to me.

Lily stopped chatting and looked back when she noticed that I was no longer with her. "Peter? What's the matter?"

I grimaced, eyes pinned on the spot where Remus received the Killing Curse. Like me, he had never been a remarkable duelist…I wonder why he even bothered to try dueling with a Death Eater. Surely he knew he was throwing his life away! So that meant he'd found something he was willing to become a martyr for…but would such a meaningless death really help anyone?

Unlike my death, if I were to kill myself. I'd guarantee a number of people would survive, right? Though, something else might cause their deaths in my stead. So nothing is really certain. The Dark Lord would surely still have us all killed in some manner.

So, no. Martyrdom is not the answer, I believe.

I realized Lily was waiting for my response.

"Um…I was just thinking about…martyrs…"

"Really? Why now, all of a sudden?"

"When I was asleep just a bit ago, you know, um…I had a dream where, if I killed myself, I could lengthen my friends' lives by just a little."

"Ah…so that's why you've seemed so distant today." Lily said, nodding in comprehension. "I thought you were just crushed from Alice's rejection."

"Yup." I said, simply.

"Was I one of the friends whose lives would be lengthened by your suicide?" Lily said without a trace of seriousness in her voice. Clearly she didn't put much stock in dreams…I wondered what she would do if she were the one to have seen the visions? I doubted she would believe me if I told her what I saw. I'd very likely lose what little respect she had for me if she thought I believed in their validity.

"Yes, actually."

"Well, I'll have you know that I'd rather have you alive and well than give me any amount of added time to live, Peter," she said, smiling gently. "Please don't ever consider killing yourself, even if it's on someone's behalf. You would hurt everyone more by doing so."

"Yeah? Like who?" I muttered.

"Sometimes people don't realize how much they value someone until they're gone. So, the fact that they do value you at all should be enough for you to want to stay alive." She walked up and clasped her tiny hand in my plump, sweaty one. "I would be hurt by your death, Peter. Especially if you did it for me."

I blushed and nodded in understanding. "Th-thank you, Lily."

"OI!" James called from the bottom of the stairwell where Lupin died. I jumped and quickly dropped Lily's hand. "Sorry to cut short your bloody tryst here, but we've got a contest about to start down in Potions!"

Lily crossed her arms. "We were having a deep conversation, Potter." She spat his name like an insult. "Something you could never comprehend. And you shouldn't blame us for your own incompetence in every single subject."

"I am very competent, Evans!" James contradicted her. "Especially in deep conversations, for your information."

"Oh, spare me," Lily groaned. "A deep conversation for you would likely involve how DEEP you can stick your wand up your own arse!"

I chuckled at this.

James fumed. "I'll have you know it doesn't go very far up my arse at all! Not that I tried it or anything." Lily and I giggled to each other. "NOW! You two lovebirds better race down there before Padfoot and Alice get stuck being our representatives."

"Sure thing, Prongs!" I saluted him. "And it was nothing, don't worry."

James eyed me dangerously, mouthing the words 'Off' and 'Limits,' to which I mouthed 'I bloody know.'

I took comfort in the fact that I was very much back in the present as I listened to James and Lily berate each other all the way down to the dungeons.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hello all! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! As this is my first foray into the world of HP fanficdom, please let me know what worked for you and what didn't! And absolutely feel free to correct any technical inaccuracies; I'm very willing to go back and change anything, especially since this is just the first chapter. And I'd really like to know what parts you liked in the chapter, in particular – this will be useful for knowing what kinds of scenes to focus on in future chapters. :)

I also welcome one-word reviews, if that's all you have time for! :) I know you're a very busy person, and may not have the time or the frame of mind to write an in-depth analysis of the work so far – just a tiny review will make my day. Even if it's negative, lol.

I have a good amount of the fic planned out on paper, though I'm not completely sure what the pairings will be. Feel free to weigh in. I'm also planning to introduce a couple key original characters that will NOT be Mary Sue types, as far as I can help it. They're the two girls that got killed in the Lucius flash-forward, and their purposes and reasons for existence will be made clear in time.

I hope to keep Peter as being essentially himself, but to also fix a few key flaws in him as the story goes on. Rather, I'd like to make him the Marauder that he could have been, still being Peter Pettigrew.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next chapter!


	2. The Will to Crave

**Rise of the Fourth Marauder**

**Chapter 2 - The Will to Crave**

I trailed a few steps behind Lily and James as we progressed through the Hogwarts dungeons, feeling some relief for the first time that day. Hearing the two of them bicker derisively with one another had vaguely restored a sense of normalcy for me…and that was truly something to celebrate. The present, for me and my friends, was a bit of an oasis in light of the dark future that's quickly approaching. We needed to enjoy this as much as possible.

I took a few deep breaths, savoring them even in the musky dungeon air. My chest was no longer convulsing from nerves.

No matter what Dumbledore or I do to fix this, that darkness will always come, unless we're extremely lucky. It's just a question of how we handle that darkness when it gets here. The idea of handling something so dire filled me with an alien sense of Gryffindor excitement - that was something I wanted, I realized, to do something good for everyone. I don't think I'm content any longer to just sit on my arse and watch James and Sirius be the amazing heroes they are. I need to better myself, too.

_You'll never amount to anything, you weak little slug_, the rat in my head sneered.

_Shut up_, I thought back. _I know it's not likely, but_…

_The day you can beat anyone in a duel, I'll promptly slit my own throat in astonishment. You're pathetic. Your dreams mean NOTHING. You will never achieve them._

I know he's somewhat right…but I still have to act. Even if I die. I can't let the future I saw come to pass without at least giving my all to stop it. And, no matter what…I will never betray my friends, like that future me did!

The three of us arrived in the Potions classroom, and I abruptly felt consumed by nerves once more. Everyone's eyes were on us (how I hated that feeling…I never wanted people to look at me, period!), and there were four tables in the center of the room, each draped with fine cloth the colors of our respective Houses.

This is it! I felt like whimpering, squealing…anything but brewing this potion, whatever it is, in front of this class of extremely judgmental students. I'm fine brewing when no one's watching, but…

Sirius grinned at our arrival with evident relief. "Oh, praise Morgan Le Fay's buxom buttocks! The Calvary arrives!"

Slughorn laughed merrily from his belly and ruffled Sirius's hair fondly. "Fascinating creativity with your swearing as usual, Mr. Black. The two of you are relieved from Potions duty, if you so choose!"

"Thank you, Professor," Alice said with a polite incline of the head as Sirius gave the walrus-sized professor an cuddly hug. My housemates cheerfully returned to their seats, and my body spiked with pain as Alice glanced at me and smiled. I didn't really care so much about her anymore, after seeing those visions, but damn…now that she's here, so close, her rejection burns even more painfully than before. I…I think I still love her…

Not like I needed more stress.

"And here we have the lovely, talented Miss Evans!" Slughorn cried in welcome as I followed her to the contest table. "I'm so pleased to have you with us today, young lady!"

"Have I ever not come, Professor?" Lily said innocently.

Sirius and James sniggered from behind, with James pointing out in an audible whisper, "It's funny cuz she said 'come.'"

"You've never missed class before, of course, so I was naturally quite concerned when you did not turn up! I had wondered if something dreadful had befallen you! Besides, this is your chance to prove yourself the best Potioneer of your year!" Slughorn coddled, chuckling and walking over to his desk, completely ignoring that I existed at all.

As I situated myself on Lily's right, already sweating like a pig, I looked with vague interest at Severus Snape, who had, rather inexplicably, played a major role in my vision of the future. Was he indeed in love with Lily? I mean, I knew he fancied her, like in a lustful, wank-happy way, but what did he truly feel for her, right this instant?

He was dripping with the usual facial grease, and looked much more unkempt than I did (which is quite a significant achievement), but he was looking, brows furrowed, at Lily. Normally, the kid looked furious at all times, but now he just looked just vaguely perturbed. I wondered if he always seemed more at peace when Lily was in the room. I'd have to watch him more carefully from now on.

"Now children," Slughorn began with a clearing of his throat, "today the eight of you elite brewers, representing all four Houses, will make use of your plentiful wits and skill to concoct an elaborate potion that is several years ahead of you in skill. I have faith that you all have the potential to do it, however!" He grinned most broadly at Severus and Lily. "The partnership that brews the best vial of Babelmind Elixir will get to keep the potion and win this plaque!" He lifted a prepared certificate which lauded the unmarked name as a Honorary Potion Master. "Which you'll be able to use to further your respective illustrious career! This plaque will catch the eye of many an employer, once you graduate, oho, yes it will - as it shows that you have smarts, dedication, ambition, and great talent!" He beamed, running a hand through his moustache. "Of course, you'll also earn a permanent placing on my humble mural of honor, such as it is."

"Now," he said, drawing himself up again and beckoning to the rest of the class behind us, "let's get all you spectators involved, shall we? Oho! Do any of you know the function of the Babelmind Elixir? Ah yes, good, Mr. Wilkes. Inform us, please."

The Slytherin wrinkled his nose and said, "Babelmind lets you understand any language, Professor. It allows wizards to speak to Merpeople, Dementors, Elementals…and human languages, too."

"Fantastic, Mr. Wilkes! 10 points to Slytherin!" Slughorn crowed. Snape and Wilkes smirked at each other in celebration. "Now then, this potion is very tricky, but, fortunately, only takes an hour to brew, which is perfect for our time constraints. Contestants; please bring out your textbooks and turn to page 597." I did so with my quite sweaty hands, scowling when I saw that it was a post-NEWT level potion. No wonder Slughorn would give us such a big certificate if we could do it! I shared a troubled look with Lily.

"And, as everyone seems all set, you may begin brewing…now!" Slughorn cried.

This was it! My brain screeched as time slowed to a momentary halt. It all came together - if I can make this potion…using my already natural proficiency for potion work…then that means I can focus and better myself in other areas, thus achieving great things overall! If I can make this potion, then it means I DO have the ability to achieve beyond my scope!

I HAVE to make this potion, to prove myself a new Peter.

My focus locked into place as Lily and I set forth to gather the ingredients. She took the lead as usual, saying, "I'll fetch the Honeybark and Eavenfaere, you get the other starting ingredients."

"No problem," I said her with absolute confidence that sounded weird coming from my lips. I shivered as I remembered everyone in the room was watching my fat, pathetic self, but then reminded myself that, in my mind, the only people that existed here were my dear friend Lily and I. We could do this! I fetched a spotted newt and seven azure tulips, along with some bamboo and quicksand.

I brought everything back to our table and began preparing the bamboo and tulips as Lily stirred the Eavenfaere. The quicksand adding procedure seemed quite difficult, judging from the instructions. "Lily, do you think it would be best if I helped with the quicksand?" I asked her.

She nodded curtly, her face the picture of beautiful intensity. After she finished stirring, she handed the reins to me and swirled the vial of quicksand in tiny circles. The resulting force, naturally, made her supple breasts actively jiggle around. Also naturally, I couldn't help but sneak a peek at those beautiful breasts out of habit, although I immediately felt guilty for doing so.

We signaled one another with our eyes and Lily tilted the vial and sprinkled the quicksand very daintily into the cauldron in a counterclockwise spiral. Meanwhile, I violently churned the potion in a clockwise direction, as the instructions called for a precisely opposite level of energy between the potion's movement and the quicksand's insertion.

"It says, 'A proper quicksand fusion should result in a flash of light,'" I said in a steely voice, but, before the words left my mouth, a burst of bright, contained violet energy simmered from the potion.

"Oho! Most excellent, Miss Evans! It seems the Gryffindors are plowing ahead, other Houses! You may consider stepping up your respective paces!" Slughorn sang, nearly choking on his enthusiasm.

"Quickly, add the tulips," I reminded Lily needlessly (she gave me a look telling me as much) as I peered around at our competition. Snape leaned over his potions even further in intensity whilst shooting his unfortunate partner blameful looks. Amelia Bones of Hufflepuff stared anxiously at her partner, clearly running into some problems at the moment. Elias Zabini and mad genius Xeno Lovegood of Ravenclaw merely looked supremely unfazed by anything going on at all.

* * *

><p>We continued brewing for some time, everything going astonishingly smoothly…until my Marauder brothers eventually came up to review our handiwork.<p>

"Keep up the good work, Wormy," James said warmly, poking his head between Lily and I's. "We thought we'd lend you our support!"

"James," I warned, not wanting him to screw up my concentration.

"Piss off," Lily growled at him. "If you'd be so kind, of course."

"James will indeed leave if YOU piss on him, I'm sure, my dear Lily," Sirius said with an obscene grin. "He'll be in bed for a week after – GAH!" James promptly punched him in the face while I stomped on his foot. "OW, MOTHER of -"

"Lily's correct," I said shortly. "I need to concentrate."

"Are you suggesting we're distracting? All we're doing is admiring your work with the holy sludge of doom there," James beamed.

"Babelmind Elixir," Lily grated out, sounding on the brink of murderous insanity. "Now, do you want to be castrated?"

"Why hullo there, Lily," James smiled, as if he'd just noticed her. "I must say I really admire the way your robe accentuates every inch of your body! It's a nice one."

Her face flushed red, although it seemed to me to be out of pure hatred rather than bashful embarrassment.

"Why…you…"

"Don't be mad, dear Lily," Sirius chuckled. "I never actually realized how alluringly your posterior twists when you walk, until today!"

"DURO!" Snape suddenly roared, which transfigured Sirius's body entirely into stone. Silence reigned except for the stirring of four cauldrons. Lily stared at Snape with an unreadable expression in her eyes. Snape stood, seething at Sirius and James.

"You sniveling bastard!" James finally spat out gutturally.

"How dare you?" Snape growled. "After how you were just talking to her? How is _that_ exemplary of Gryffindor honor?"

"I'll make you pay-"

"SILENCE!" Slughorn shouted, freezing the two rivals in place. "Mr. Potter, detention."

"WHAT?" James hissed incredulously, while Lily and Snape beamed.

"AND 20 points from Gryffindor," he said sternly. "Mr. Snape was wise to cast a spell that would not disrupt potion-brewing any further than you already had with Mr. Black. All are welcome to observe, but not to distract the potioneers. Now, carry Mr. Black's body to the infirmary, if you would be so kind."

James glowered for a bit before looking apologetically at Lily and me and struggling to drag Sirius's petrified self up the stairs, scraping through the stone floor as he went.

Slughorn smiled at Snape. "That was both quick thinking and honorable behavior, Mr. Snape, standing up for Miss Evans like that."

Snape blushed quite darkly and muttered, "It was nothing, Professor." He didn't meet Lily's eyes, which is unfortunate for him, because she was giving him a rather insanely pretty smile at the moment.

"Right then, carry on, all!" Slughorn announced, smiling again. I knew James and Sirius would not take this perceived injustice lying down…this meant trouble for Snape, and I'm sure he knew that as well. Normally, I'd have been thrilled to be at their side, torturing him, but I felt, surprisingly, that my heart was going out to the angry, greasy boy since my vision. I'm such a weirdo.

"Lily, I think it's about time for the brains," I told her, seeming to jolt her out of a daze.

"What?"

"The two pixie brains. It's time for that."

"Oh, you're right!" she gasped. "Hold on a moment." She went to Slughorn's desk and fetched one of his prepared jars.

She and I were supposed to hold the brains cortex against cortex and lower them into the swirling muck of the potion together. I didn't think I'd have a problem with dealing with the brains, as they'd never fazed me before, but…

Today, looking at the gore in the jar, all I could see was James's, Snape's, and that mysterious white-haired girl's bodies exploding as I saw in my visions. My hands and, bloody hell, my entire body all shook with potent, uncontrollable anguish.

_What's wrong with you, Pissface? _The rat in my head demanded. _Pull yourself together, you're brewing OUR future, here!_

I whimpered, trying to get my focus back, trying to remember my goals, and what I was trying to brew this for…but I felt my self-confidence keep swirling down as I looked at the pixie brains. The descent and darkness seemed bottomless.

"Peter…you look sick. Are you okay?" Lily said, worriedly. (But not so worried that she saw fit to touch me in reassurance, I noticed)

"I'm…I-I-I-I…" I gasped, looking in horror at the brains as though they belonged to James. I just couldn't separate the two images! Fuck! "I can't…I-I…"

"It's alright, Peter, it's going to be alright," she cooed. "I can try to deal with the brains myself."

Praise Merlin she's so smart!

"Alice, could you…?" Lily said softly. My heart shuddered.

"Lily!" she hissed in warning.

"Now!" Lily hissed back.

"Fine…" My crush came up to the table, much to my dismay as Lily began the final procedure. I was so embarrassed at Alice's approach that I didn't even notice the sick feeling rising in my stomach.

"Come here, Peter," she said gently, sliding her fingers between my wet-with-sweat ones.

As I turned to look at her, I abruptly heaved, launching chunky, brown vomit all over her. On cue, the other three houses all burst forth with laughter.

Panic jolted throughout my mind. "_Evanesco_!" I hurriedly cast, wiping away all the vomit from Alice's beautiful body. "Alice, I'm SO…" I moaned.

She sent a death glare at me, backhanding me in the face (Snape howled with laughter here. So much for him being not so bad.). "How DARE you vomit on me?" she shrieked, looking at me with absolute loathing.

"I, I," I said, still feeling sick, but now also on the brink of pissing myself.

"Calm down, Alice," Mary commanded from her seat.

"You WORTHLESS…" Alice continued at me.

"CALM DOWN, I said!" Mary screamed over her.

Alice sent me one last look of utter hatred before I abruptly lost control of my bladder, shaking in place as I tried to stop the accursed urine from escaping me. The laughter only increased.

I…hate…everyone.

"It's done!" Lily announced brightly. "The potion's finished!" The laughter drowned out her voice, though, and I no longer cared about the results of our day's work, anyway. Feeling empty, impotent, and mentally shattered, I dragged my urine-soaked self out of the classroom, but not before nailing the floor with another helping of my vomit.

* * *

><p>After cleaning myself up, I spent a long time in the dungeon bathroom, thinking nothing at all but aimless hate. Could I ever actually make ANY difference, when I'm this useless and pathetic? I loathe everything about myself. I can't stop seeing Alice, the girl I've always adored, giving me that AWFUL look in my head…and I don't even have any excuse. It's entirely my fault. It hurts me everywhere inside to even remember her looking at me like that.<p>

Dammit…dammit…

What was I to do, now?

I sighed and got redressed, washing my hands as I did so. A large part of me felt that I owed it to everyone to share my vision with Dumbledore, but now…I didn't even know if I'd be able to pull THAT off, I'm so pathetic. And what do I care if everyone gets brutally murdered, anyway? They deserve it, for being so mean to me all the time…it's THEIR fault that I'm this pathetic! I had nothing to do with it! Damn them! Damn them all!

However…I also knew that all that was a lie…I truly did care for them, even if I didn't want to at the moment. So, without anything else to do, I took a deep breath and began my journey to the Headmaster's office.

"Well, well, if it isn't ickle Pissy Pettigrew?" Snape sneered as he walked past with his entourage of Wilkes and Rosier in tow.

I turned my head, abashed. I knew I couldn't hold a candle to any of them in power.

They stopped and turned to follow me as I went. "I always knew you'd be pathetic without the help of your inbred Marauder boyfriends," Snape sneered, "But you are well and truly a failure as a human being when you're alone, aren't you?"

"Fuck off, Snivellus."

"I wonder; does your mum hold your tiny dick while you pee every night?" Snape pondered aloud. I growled in anger.

"That WOULD require her to be still in school with him, though," Wilkes observed. "Which would explain a lot about where Pissy Pukergrew here inherited his stunning intellect."

"Indeed, well put!" Snape said, nodding seriously.

"Are you finished?" I growled out. "I have somewhere I need to be."

"That somewhere wouldn't happen to be the local Squib community center, now would it?"

I winced, but I couldn't do anything about it. Snape was just too powerful for me to take on my own. I'd have to just keep taking it.

"So, what cup size are you?" Rosier asked. "I'm sure you wear lingerie for the other Marauders every night, don't you?"

"Indeed. You might want to work on how your stomach sticks out further than your knockers, however," Snape advised me. "Most men find that to be very unattractive."

"I'll keep that in mind," I growled.

"Oh really? Hear that, boys?" Snape announced. "Peter really is trying to woo the male populace of Hogwarts! Run for the hills! Cover your crotches!"

I moaned pathetically as the three of them continued laughing at me. I was looking at the floor so morosely that I collided with Albus Dumbledore himself.

"Holy -!" I cried, jumping in place. "Sorry, Professor Dumbledore!"

"Young Mr. Pettigrew, a pleasure as always," Dumbledore said, smiling kindly down at me. "It's always good to see healthy socializing between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. How very open-minded of you!"

"That's us, sir!" Wilkes said cheekily. "We're all about house unity here, Professor!"

"That pleases me to see," Dumbledore chuckled. "Now; where are you all off to, down this corridor, hmm?"

"We were just seeing Pettigrew off, Professor," Snape said slimily. "We'll be on our way now, if it's all the same to you. See you, Wormtail!" He told me with sneering superiority.

"Ahh, young rivalries. So droll!" Dumbledore grinned as he watched Snape and the others go.

"P-Professor Dumbledore, sir," I stammered nervously, looking in awe at the incredibly powerful sorcerer before me. "I-I w-w-wanted to talk to you about something, sir. If you're not too busy, that is."

"I was just going out for a tall glass of butterbeer – ohhhhh, how I love that frothy, bubbly goodness – but I do think I'll have time to chat with you, dear boy!"

"I-I-I don't want to interrupt…"

"Nonsense!" Dumbledore cried, putting an arm through mine and jovially stomping towards his office with me. "I don't hear from the students as much as I'd like, you know; it's always a treat for me!"

* * *

><p>We ascended the spiral stair and arrived at his rather bizarrely-decorated room. "Now, my dear boy, before we begin, I'd just like to ask…lemon drop?" he said, offering one to me.<p>

Figuring it could only help my post-vomit breath, I gladly took a handful, watching him anxiously.

"Now then, Mr. Pettigrew, how goes your Hogwarts education?"

I swallowed (being careful not to swallow the candy as well) before managing to ramble out, "It's going well…especially Potions…I seem to have a knack for that."

Dumbledore smiled. "Ahh, fantastic. The wizarding world can always use yet more skilled potioneers! Do you think you will work towards that as a possible future profession, then?"

I almost said yes, but suddenly realized that would be a good lead-in to what I wanted to talk with him about. "Actually, Professor…I'm not certain that there will be enough of a future to have a profession in."

"Ahh! My word. No doubt you're referring to the various reports of an up-and-coming Dark Lord?" Dumbledore queried, looking altogether unfazed by the idea.

"W-well sir…yes. I, um, I, um, I…" I sighed, trying to pull myself together for a massive unloading of my information, "I have had…a vision…"

Dumbledore's eyebrows nearly rose to his hairline. "A…prophetic vision, do you mean?"

I nodded sharply. "A being named Avaxeous," (here, Dumbledore paled and leaned back in his seat) "which I couldn't really see, but, I kind of…felt, everywhere...well, it told me I had the power to prevent great tragedy."

"It did?" Dumbledore asked incredulously.

I looked at him in irritation. Was he showing what he really thought of me with that response? Figures.

"Oh! Don't take my surprise the wrong way, dear boy," Dumbledore said, catching himself. "There are just several aspects to temporal mechanics that seem to run contrary to Avaxeous's statement."

"A-alright then," I said, not knowing how to take that, "it showed me several scenes, in excruciating detail. All of them were…horrific," I said, shivering. Vomit climbed unbidden up my throat again.

"And you believe these…visions…have to do with the Dark Lord who is currently on the rise?" Dumbledore asked me seriously. At my nod, he leaned back further in his chair and began considering. "Mr. Pettigrew, I wonder…have you ever heard of a Pensieve?"

"N-no, sir."

"A Pensieve is a shallow, stone basin that can be used to store memories that the user may wish to view and to study."

"So…you'd, like, be able to observe the memory, if you put it in there?"

"Precisely!" Dumbledore grinned. "Now; would you permit me to view your visions through the use of this device? It may, forgive me for saying, be able to better relate the visions to me than you could by describing them to me. I'm sure they would be incredibly accurate descriptions, but…"

"Of course I don't mind," I smiled shyly. "I think that would save time."

"And I may be able to see details that you may not have noticed or seen as important," Dumbledore continued.

"You have my absolute permission, sir."

"Fantastic! Now, do as I tell you…"

* * *

><p>After quite a while of watching Dumbledore having his face plunged into the Pensieve (during which I entertained an inexplicable desire to run up and spank him on the bum for absolutely no reason), he emerged, looking grey with worry and concern.<p>

"D-did it work?" I asked, making sure I was able to extract my memory correctly.

"Yes, of course," he sighed, sitting across from me, taking off his glasses, and rubbing his eyes wearily.

I watched him with trepidation, worried about many things. Especially his reaction to the vision of my betrayal of my friends. He could destroy me in an instant, after all.

"Um…what…what did you think of them?" I asked.

Dumbledore sighed again. "Truly terrible visions, my boy. You were correct. Things are much more dire in the future than I'd expected. It's very sad, indeed."

"But…we…CAN do something, can't we? To make it slightly less awful?"

"No." He said, not moving a muscle, staring at a spot on his desk.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Um…come again?" I asked worriedly.

"We neither can, nor will do anything that we would not ordinarily do, I'm afraid."

Silence hung in the room.

Something suddenly snapped inside me. "WHAT?" I screamed morosely.

"Mr. Pettigrew, you must understand – I would very much LIKE to change the future you have seen,"

"So change it!"

"I can't, Mr. Pettigrew! The future is written in stone!" Dumbledore snapped.

"You must be joking!" I couldn't believe this.

"Do I LOOK like I'm joking, Mr. Pettigrew?" Dumbledore shouted, standing up. The room seemed to darken with thick magic as he glowered at me with those magic-infused eyes. "I wish we could change it, likely much more than you!"

I wanted to retort, but somehow couldn't find the voice to do so while he looked so incredibly threatening.

"But I have experience with these matters, and they are NOT something that can be brushed aside. Visions that seers have, in every case, are not glimpses of a mere possible future. What Avaxeous has shown you is a glimpse into fate itself!"

He proceeded to stroll around his desk tapping his various mechanical instruments as he walked past them. "Fate works somewhat like a water-filtering station."

"A what?"

"A…" he sighed. "In the muggle world, in order to purify water so it is drinkable, it flows through tubes leading to a filter, leading to a pool, leading to another filter, leading to another pool, and so on. In matters of Seeing, what a seer glimpses is something that fate has established as a filter that events in the future MUST travel through. What isn't foreseen by seers CAN be changed, Mr. Pettigrew – such blocks of time would be like the pools of water, swirling around freely. But, eventually, the water must pass through that filter, and it WILL occur, in some shape or another."

He looked at me seriously. "Thus, what you have seen are filters through which the water of time MUST flow, unfortunately. I personally hate fate for being like this, but it is what it is – there is NOTHING that you can change about what you have seen."

He sat down and waited for my response.

"I…how can you be sure? Where's the proof?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Mr. Pettigrew, four times in my life, I have been visited by the same spirit that visited you. The first three times, I did my very best to do whatever it took to change what I had foreseen from happening, even turning to Dark Magic for a time."

I nodded, spellbound.

"But even my most desperate acts couldn't stop those visions from occurring," Dumbledore said, his face twitching with grief. "I just made things worse by going to the lengths I did to keep them from happening. The fourth time, I just went along with my life and allowed fate to occur, and, even though it was tragic, I lost much less than I might have by trying once again to combat it.

"So, believe me, my boy, when I say that I know what you're going through. The desperation, the constant horror, the drive to want to do anything, everything but what you have foreseen…but I'm afraid that your path has been locked in."

"No."

Dumbledore wiped his brow, "Peter…"

"I don't believe you," I said firmly, standing up and glowering at him. "You…you have the POWER to stop these things, Professor! You're the most powerful wizard since the bloody Founders! DO something!"

"Peter, it may seem like wisdom now, to act, but there is no hope."

"You're right, there isn't! Not if you act like that!" I snarled. "Do you really want the Dark Lord to walk all over us? Why not hunt him down right now and kill him?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "I suppose he just must be more powerful than I."

"Shit! Dammit!" I cursed, pacing around the room and fuming. I had rarely been more angry in my life than I felt right now. I truly was completely alone in this world. "I'm going to stop your bloody fate from happening, Dumbledore…"

"You can't…"

"OR DIE TRYING!" I screamed.

Dumbledore sighed. "I can't stop you, of course. I'm just giving you helpful advice."

"Oh yeah, helpful advice that will wind up landing me in a group of murderers, betraying my friends, and being killed by own silver hand! Yeah, that's REALLY good advice, Dumbledore!"

"_Professor_ Dumbledore, if you please, Mr. Pettigrew."

I rolled my eyes.

"Listen here, Peter, I don't mind you attempting to change fate, no matter how futile it will be, but promise me one thing."

I sighed. "What is it, Professor?"

"That you won't turn to Dark Magic to further your goals."

"Of COURSE I won't, Professor!" I said, exasperatedly. "I'd think that would go against my goal of not becoming a Death Eater, wouldn't you think?"

"Then you are free to do as you wish," the Professor said with a wry smile

"Do you…d'you think you could help me become more powerful, Professor?"

Dumbledore yawned. "I believe your Defense Professor is more than capable of that task, Mr. Pettigrew."

"I…I…" Something occurred to me. "Wait, if you didn't want to lift a finger to help, no matter what my visions are, then why did you want to see them in the Pensieve in the first place?"

"Strategy," he said simply, before elaborating, "Time flows in pools of choice and filters of fate both, my boy. There's no stopping us from changing events that occur between your visions, you know. There are innumerable conclusions we can draw from the visions that you've seen."

"Professor," I said, something else occurring to me. "What's stopping me from killing myself right now? The events will no longer happen as they do, then! Who knows if they'll be BETTER or not, but it will at least be different, yes?

"Theoretically, yes, of course they WOULD be different, Mr. Pettigrew," Dumbledore said. "But, since we have glimpsed the future, and we know that you will be alive in it, therefore, for whatever reason, we know that you will not be able to kill yourself at this present time."

I had much more than half a mind to slit my own wrists just to spite him. But he was correct, I had to admit…even though I do despise myself enough to kill myself…I'm not going to sit back and let all those people die, when I'm the only one willing attempt to prevent those deaths!

Snape, though…I wouldn't mind killing him. That would change fate, right? However, the odds aren't good that I could best him in a duel.

…dammit.

"I…I'll change fate somehow, PROFESSOR Dumbledore, just you wait!" I said with burning rage. "Who's to say those four visions came true just for you? Maybe others CAN change their fate, and you were just unlucky!"

"Mr. Pettigrew, it is a very well-researched subject."

"I don't care! I'll find a way. I'll be the first to prove that you can change fate. Somehow…someday…I'll do it!" I vowed. "I swear it!"

Dumbledore looked incredibly relaxed and settled for smiling at me grandfatherly.

"Professor…I must admit I'm gravely disappointed with you," I told him, hollowly, allowing my rat personality to take over my words. "A true wizard would do his best to stop such evils from coming true, even knowing the fate that awaited him."

"I'm sorry to have disappointed you, my boy. You have my word that I will do my best to hunt down and destroy this Dark Lord, however, as that is something I would do regardless of the future we have seen together."

I stomped up to his face and sneered at him, feeling quite Slytherin in my disdain for him at the moment. "You're explaining yourself away with logic, Professor, but, do you want to know the real reason for you not trying to keep these things from happening?"

"Do enlighten me, my boy."

"You're a coward. You're afraid of being disappointed again. You'd rather everyone else experience pain while you just sit back and say 'I bloody told you so…' instead of you actually, Merlin forbid, having to feel disappointment again. You make me sick."

"And you, Mr. Pettigrew, should prepare yourself for bigger disappointment than any normal person will ever feel, when you fail to change a single thing that you've seen," Dumbledore said softly. "One day, you'll understand why I'm like this."

"I understand it perfectly, Professor," I said. "But that doesn't make you any less WRONG to let these people die like this."

Dumbledore shrugged. "You may have whatever opinion you wish of either me or of fate. It matters not, to me. I know I'm correct, and you will, too, in time."

"You should be ashamed to be a Gryffindor," I sneered.

As he just smiled gently up at me, I felt another wave of nausea and stalked from the room.

* * *

><p>It took about two hours before my heart stopped pounding. I was so angry…so bloody furious…that I said things to Professor Dumbledore that I'd never even THINK of saying to ANYONE! What the bloody hell was wrong with me?<p>

I moaned and slammed my head on the desk. Now even more directionless than before, I found myself sulking in the library, alone. The Marauders and Lily both tried to come up and console me, but I'd purposely avoided them, wanting to be alone for a long time.

I wasn't just feeling pathetic, however…I felt a roaring fire within me, a desire to prove Dumbledore wrong! I would show him exactly why the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor!

Grinning manically, I stood up and looked to the Restricted Section. Dumbledore thinks the Dark Lord is more powerful than he, does he? DOES HE? I guess that means I'll have to outpower Dumbledore himself, then.

My new goal: to best Professor Dumbledore in a duel!

I'll have a few years to prepare, but it needs to be before the time of the first vision is here! After I know I'm powerful enough to take him, then I know I'll be powerful enough to murder the Dark Lord and stop all the killings he's responsible for! I'll like to see fate try to work THAT into its bloody filtering system and fatalistic nonsense.

However, I can't get into the Restricted Section without clearance from a teacher. Hmm…surely, if I was a Slytherin, I would be able to think up a plan to get one! However, I'm not, and I've never excelled at planning, so that wouldn't work.

Hmmmmm…perhaps I could get a powerful magical text from somewhere else…

Aha!

The Pettigrew family library! My family grimoire! If I tell dear old mum that I'm attempting to work on becoming the most powerful student in the school, there's no way in Hell her Slytherin ambition won't be able to take the bait! Perfect! And perhaps she'll have an idea for me to get into the Restricted Section.

Without hesitation, I took out a parchment and began writing on it with my shaking, manically sweaty hands.

* * *

><p>AN: Hooray! We're clipping along with the plot here! :D I hope you're all enjoying this! Only YOU, as the reader, can make this fic better! Tell me what you think is wrong with it, and I'll gladly incorporate changes, accordingly. Any input at all on where you'd like the story to go will be quite helpful as well.

Let me know what you think of my characterizations of Peter, Dumbles, and everyone. Do you have any ideas on how Peter might cheat fate? Do you have any opinions on the romance angle? Please feel free to comment on any or anything.

Just review, in general, and I'll update that much faster. :)


	3. Rat's Ascent

**A/N: **Welcome back, dear reader! Thanks so much to all my reviewers for their advice and kind words! :) I hope you enjoy the newest installment of the first Heroic!Peter story on the 'net!

**Rise of the Fourth Marauder**

**Chapter 3**

**Rat's Ascent**

I soon realized, after I'd had a chance to skim a few books, that becoming fluent and powerful in magic would be an incredibly complex endeavor. I immediately began to have serious doubts that I really could "take" Dumbledore in a duel, but I purposefully pushed such doubts from my head – they could do nothing to aid my new purpose in life, so I had no use for ANY doubts, any longer.

I also quickly realized that I would need a secure, isolated place of my own to practice magic. Madam Pince threatened me with a lifetime ban from the library if I didn't, after all.

Thus, I found myself going to my Head of House's office for advice, deciding to keep my visions a secret from her.

McGonagall looked instantly concerned to see me standing in her doorway when she answered my knock. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Mr. Pettigrew! What have you and your little band done to compromise the safety of the school this time?"

I laughed nervously. "N-nothing, Professor. I actually came to discuss my development as a wizard. D-do you have a moment?"

McGonagall blinked and eyed me suspiciously. "Shame on you if you think I'll fall for the same trick twice, Mr. Pettigrew! I'll not have you distract me so that Mr. Potter and Mr. Black can…"

"Professor, this is VERY important to me," I said, looking at her seriously. "And I haven't even talked to my friends all day. I'm here on my own terms."

She hesitated and then sighed. "I must be getting soft in my old age, for I believe you." I privately thought she was far from old age at this point, but whatever. "Come in, then, Mr. Pettigrew – BRIEFLY! I am a very busy woman, you realize."

I nodded and followed her in, noticing that I was no longer even vaguely as nervous of her as I had been for the previous four years. My newfound determination must be easing my anxiety. The room seemed quite cold, clinical, with no noticeable decoration or anything else that wasn't completely necessary.

"Now then, what can I help you with?" she asked as she smoothed her dress and sat behind her ridiculously tidy desk.

"Well, Professor," I said, wetting my dry lips with my tongue, "I have recently come to a…er…an epiphany. I want to become much, much more knowledgeable of spells in general, and, um, I-I want to become much more powerful than I am currently."

McGonagall looked at me austerely. "May I ask…why you are only now addressing the problem of your extreme lack of magical proficiency?"

I didn't fancy explaining the whole vision of the future extravaganza to her, so I thought a moment and said, "I want to be a valuable member of wizarding society, and I realized that I'll very likely amount to precious little if I don't shape up my studies. Besides, when is it ever wrong to seek to better one's self?"

She sighed and leaned her head on her upturned fist. "There are many instances where embarking on a sudden quest for power turns out to be something quite dangerous, Mr. Pettigrew, both for the student and their peers. I surely don't need to remind you of the sixteen Dark Lords since the Dark Lady Morgan le Fay."

I smirked. "I can assure you, Professor – I'm not about to touch anything dark. I only want to better myself and be the best wizard I can. I'm even prepared to forego spending time with my friends to do this."

"I should hope so, if you are indeed telling the truth." McGonagall said, twirling her wand absentmindedly as she continued to stare me down. "I suppose there's no harm in giving you a chance to, as you say, better yourself. I doubt you could do much damage even if you did go off the deep end, given your current power level."

I was offended by that remark, but ignored it. "Brilliant, Professor. What, um…do you have any advice on where to start? I don't seem to have much power to draw on, for even the most basic spells…"

"Your power core is, indeed, nearly squib-level, Mr. Pettigrew, which is almost certainly related to your constant lack of confidence in nearly any subject."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't make faces, you know what I speak is true!" McGonagall said sharply. This was a bit of an eye-opening experience. It seemed that what she truly thought of me was starting to come out. "Secondly, your immersion into magic is surface-level, at best. If you want to keep up with any of your classmates, you'll first need to address these two problems."

"That sounds good, Professor. How do I start?"

She gave me an odd look. "You truly are fired up about this, aren't you?" She cleared her throat. "Normally, witches and wizards naturally develop these two traits as they work through their studies, so Hogwarts doesn't cover the art of furthering one's self in these areas. Being that your magical core and immersion are so…pathetic, I think it's acceptable to make an exception for you."

"I appreciate it, Professor."

She took out a pad of paper – which I soon realized was a pad of permission slips for the Restricted Section – and filled it out for me. "I'm putting down a number of tomes which you will find essential to your betterment. Start with these, at least, and then we'll see what further steps to take."

"Thank you, Professor," I said, smiling cheerfully. What luck! The Restricted Section is mine for the plundering!

"And, if I may make a suggestion, Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Certainly."

"You might want to start by putting some effort into getting in shape," she said, looking at me with evident distaste. I blushed and looked at the floor in shame. "A basic tenant of building one's magical core is this: developing your mind, your body, your spirit, and your soul. A magical core draws energy from the four of these, you see."

"I…didn't know that, Professor," I said, quite interested.

"Obviously, or I'm sure you'd be considerately less rotund, idiotic, dispirited, and undisciplined." McGonagall said sharply. Clearly, she was not going to give me any kind of benefit of the doubt until she saw some results. But she didn't have to be such a mean-spirited bitch about it, either. She continued, "When the four pillars of the core are regularly exercised in the appropriate fashion, a witch or wizard can greatly improve their effectiveness."

As she took a sip of tea, I decided to ask about my other question, "Thank you for your help, Professor, but I have one more question."

"I should hope so."

"R-right," I said, sweating profusely. "Well, I would like a place to practice, in private…to try out new spells, master ones I know, track the progress of my core…"

"Ah! That is a good point to consider. You don't want to destroy anything, or, worse, disrupt anyone with your practice."

"No, of course not," I said with a smile.

She considered for a moment before saying, "What about Hagrid's hut? Would you be comfortable practicing spells on its walls?"

I snorted, thinking she was joking, but quickly recomposed myself when I saw her stony look. "But…won't that annoy Hagrid?"

"I doubt it. The Gameskeeper has been very lonely these past few years. Student visits are increasingly rare, and I think he'd appreciate a bit of explosions on the side of his house, just to liven things up," McGonagall said with a quirk of a smile. I vaguely wondered if she had it in for the half-giant. "The walls are reinforced with charms, runes, and wards laid down by Dumbledore himself, in case you're wondering. As long as those protections remain, you should be able to hit the home from the outside as much as you want without harm."

"Very well," I said, bobbing my head in acknowledgment. "Any chance I could have that request in writing, too?"

"Certainly, Mr. Pettigrew," she said, and jotted out another note for Hagrid. "Although I assure you there'll be nothing to worry about." After she handed it off to me, she remarked, "Now, I do believe we've used too much of each other's time. I will be watching closely." She said by way of warning. I wasn't exactly sure what she'd be watching for, but there was certainly a threat there.

"I'm going to do this, Professor. Mark my words," I said.

"We'll see," she replied, tight-lipped. "Have a pleasant, productive evening."

"You too, Professor."

I exited and took a giant breath of relief. Merlin, I hate talking to that woman. It's like I was suffocating in there!

"HEY PETER!" Lily declared from my immediate right.

"DEAR GOD!" I screamed in fright, summoning all my willpower to remain in control of my weak bladder. "What the…"

"Nothing much, I've just gotten tired of hauling around your certificate from Slughorn all day," Lily said with a quirk of her extremely kissable-looking lips. "Here you are!" She handed the certificate to my dumbfounded self, its text reading "Peter Pettigrew : Honorary Potions Master, for all time" in gilded ink.

"Wow…" I said, momentarily speechless. "But…I lost it at the end there – I don't deserve…"

"Oh, stop beating yourself up for no reason. You brewed at least as much as I did!" Lily grinned. "Slughorn apparently noticed you, despite your projectile vomiting on our dear friend Alice. And I received one as well, of course!" She held hers up and looked at it with something akin to worship.

"I-I guess so," I said, melting under the glimmering power of her electric green eyes. "Tell her I'm sorry, could you? And congrats, of course."

"Not even close to half a problem, Peter!" Lily winked. "And, if you ask me, she deserved it. A little vomit in the face is always a healthy reminder that egos are stupid."

I laughed nervously. "Alright…um…thanks, Lily."

"Of course," she said with a graceful smile before walking (extremely gorgeously) away. MERLIN she's hot!

As I tried to peel my eyes away from her addictive beauty, I jumped (again) when I felt someone spank me. "Bloody hell! Now what?" I cried, my voice cracking.

"Good evening, my good fellow!" Gilderoy Lockhart slurped. "You know; I couldn't help but notice that you're a bit of a pathetic sap around the ladies. Do you disagree?"

"Honestly, Lockhart, I don't really care. I have no hopes for…"

"Ah! But that's not what your eyes say, do they? I'd wager you want a Lily Evans of your own, don't you?"

"Nope, I'm good, at the moment," I said, not in the mood for another of his idiocy sessions.

"Well, that's all well and good," Lockhart said, stopping me with a firm grab of my shoulder, "but, consider how ridiculously gorgeous I am! Just consider it!" He indicated his muscled arm. "I suppose you couldn't help but notice how irresistibly perfect this arm is! Not too musclebound, but certainly not flabby, just…sex. Sex in arm form, you understand."

"I don't understand anything you say at all."

"And also," he said, turning around and thrusting out his arse towards me (I immediately looked anywhere but there). "This arse is the stuff of legend. Girls with arses that pale in comparison to the power of my buttocks oftentimes come up to me and confess to me, "Gilderoy…oh, how I would love to eat a banana split off your gorgeous anal cavity! And, how I wish my arse was as summarily exquisite as yours is!""

"…somehow, I don't believe you," I told him, eyes narrowed in furious annoyance.

"Oh, but it's true," he said. He snapped his fingers twice. "You! The charming Indian girl in the corner! Do come over for a spell!"

Blushing and looking like she might faint at any given moment, Samudrala Patil came daintily over and stood before us, literally drooling at Lockhart.

"My dear, lovely woman, I have a question for you!"

"Unngh…" she moaned in excitement, before quickly catching herself and wiping the saliva from her mouth.

"What do you think of THIS arse?" Lockhart said, lifting up his robe to give her a good luck of his arse in tight, nearly transparent, silky pajama pants.

"Oh my GODS, it's beautiful!" Samudrala screamed in ecstasy, a hand to her breast. "May I…may I touch it?"

"Only you, my dear. Only you."

She moaned, whimpered, and otherwise looked about to explode from happiness as she gently petted his butt in a way that made me feel like I shouldn't be watching. At all. "It's so FIRM!" she sang in astonishment. "And your crack is chiseled just so perfectly! I want to touch it forever! OHH!"

"Now, before you faint – what do you think of my dear friend Peter Pettigrew's arse?"

Samudrala blinked and seemed to notice my presence for the first time (That seems to happen to me fairly often). "Oh! Hi, Peter. You're friends with a lot of famous people!" She continued feeling up Lockhart's arse.

I winked at her. "That's because I'm awesome."

"Apparently," she said with a joking grin. "So…turn around and let's have at it, shall we? If it's alright, that is."

"Um…okay," I said, blushing QUITE red now. I did as she asked, lifting up my robe to reveal my own saggy arse clad in a pair of normal shorts.

"Hmm…well, you do have a promising amount of arse. Way too much, of course, and not attractive at all. But, if you worked to tone it, and make it the best arse it could be, why; I think it could rival even Lockhart's here."

"What? Really?" I asked, bewildered. Lockhart looked quite put out by her comment.

"But it's terrible right now. Just so you know." Samudrala said shortly.

"You are dismissed, young lady." Lockhart said, waving her away.

"C-c-could I maybe have a hug, Gilderoy?" Samudrala wailed.

"I am sorry, my dear, but I have very beautiful, wonderful, and incredible things to do now that are much more important than you. So do be a darling and get the hell away from me, there's a good girl."

Samudrala blushed, giggled as though he had made some kind of funny joke, and scampered up to the girls' dorm.

"Wasn't she just hideous?" Lockhart remarked to me in disgust once she was away.

"I…was actually about to say she was strikingly pretty," I said, quite seriously.

"Well, there's no accounting for taste…" he muttered. "Hmm…it was unexpected, however, that a living, breathing girl, no matter how unsavory, actually thought that your arse might have potential. I may make something of you yet…"

"Well…do…I mean, do you have a way you could make me get more in shape?" I asked, remembering McGonagall's advice. "I just found out that a fit body is an important component of a strong magical core."

"It is the MOST important component, as a matter of fact!" Lockhart said, nodding and running his hands all over his body with an aroused shiver. "That is why I am so intensely powerful. And yes; I believe I do have something that may work for you." He whipped out a vial of a murky, brown liquid. "This marvelous potion, which my beautiful, sexy father managed to create in his youth," (I shivered, disturbed, as he talked about his father in that way) "is a beacon of hope for all who are less than gorgeous in their body's muscular composition." He plopped it in my hand.

"What is it, exactly?"

"It is known as Sexy Syrup, Version 7. The other versions all had severe side effects, but this one has been in circulation for years without a single reported incident," he said, quite cheerfully.

"Okay…" I said, feeling a fair bit dubious about the potion.

"What it does, my dear friend, is develop your body at a much faster rate as you exercise! Your body will become all yummy and scrumptious in mere weeks, as long as you keep up a healthy schedule of exercise, of course."

"Really?" I said, cocking an eyebrow. "And…it really does have NO adverse side effects? Nothing?"

"You're the Honorary Potions Master, my good fellow! Look it over and prove me wrong! I swear by my family's honor that it is a reliable, sexual potion of enormous proportions!"

"Much like my penis," Sirius said as he walked by, with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Hi Padfoot," I muttered. He winked and continued out of earshot, with an unidentified Hufflepuff girl in tow.

"NOW! What I suggest to my very valued customers…" Gilderoy continued, undeterred.

"You mean your guinea pigs…"

"…is a regimen of running around the great lake twice a day, drinking this potion prior to the excursion. Running is especially effective for use with Sexy Syrup, Version 7 because it utilizes almost every muscle in the body! After no time at all, you shall witness your body turn into something almost as sexy as I!"

"So…it basically accelerates muscle formation and development, then?"

"That is so correct, it's not even FUNNY!"

"Wow…" I said, staring down at it. "I…guess it can't hurt. I'll give it a try. Where will I get more?"

"My dear fellow, I'll provide you with all the Sexy Syrup, Version 7 you need! You see; you're bringing Gryffindor House down in the looks department. I can't possibly have a fatty like you besmirching my good name!" He patted me twice on the shoulder. "I am relieved you could be persuaded to correct this grave issue of house pride."

"You are FAR too kind," I told him with an exhausted glare.

"Oh, trust me, my good fellow – I know. I know." He galloped away, making sure to click his heels each step.

"I'll honestly be surprised if this works," I muttered moodily to myself.

* * *

><p>To say I wasn't at all able to sleep that night would be putting it mildly. I had extremely vivid, detailed nightmares which consisted of replaying those horrific visions…over…and over…and over again. I hadn't ever thought I would be afraid to see someone die if it wasn't me…but I was wrong. I began to fear, on a primal level, that moment that I always knew was coming, when a Killing Curse would irrevocably dispel my friends' lives from their bodies.<p>

I won't even mention the shuddering revulsion I'd suffer from seeing the mysterious white-haired girl's vivid death over and over again. It seemed my mind saw fit to replay that particular vision the most. I never thought I'd fear seeing a girl's nude body…but I began to dread turning that alleyway corner every time and seeing Lucius Malfoy annihilating her from top to bottom. Every damned time. I felt so much anger, despair, horror, my sanity slipping away. I saw little details I missed the first time, like his lips murmuring, "I adore you so much," in the girl's ear. Like her lips murmuring my name over and over and over, even as blood spilled over them. Like his fingers reaching into her eye sockets, puncturing the jelly of her pretty crimson eyes.

I found those visions far more frightening every time I saw them. And it certainly made it impossible to sleep, for I had no desire to continue meditating on such grisly images. All that awaited me in the darkness of slumber was horrific pain and death.

I gave up before long, my body shuddering with silent sobs. Eager for anything to do, even as sleep-deprived as I was, I put on my most form-fitting clothes, slurped Lockhart's stupid potion (which tasted worse than anything Pomfrey had ever used on me) and made my way to the lake, using my Animagus form to avoid detection.

* * *

><p>Running was…a challenge. It certainly forced me to come to the conclusion that I was, indeed, extraordinarily out of shape. No visible changes to my body structure seemed to occur so far (and nothing seemed wrong with me, either, other than the normal wear-and-tear of sleep deprivation), so I decided to keep on taking the potion for the next few days to see if something did happen. He did say it would take about a month, anyway.<p>

Not eager to waste time socializing, I decided to eat a quite early breakfast before I cloistered myself in the library for the day. The Great Hall was abandoned, except for one girl seated at the Gryffindor table, who was wearing faded, pink pajamas that clashed magnificently with her bright crimson hair. I at first paid her no mind, besides a few cursory glances – she seemed to not want to socialize, either. Suddenly, however, it hit me, with an incredibly unsettling shudder of horror – I KNEW HER. It was the girl…the unknown redheaded girl from my vision! The one whom I cast the Killing Curse on.

Shaking slightly, I turned to look at her, just to make sure. Yes…yes, it was her. The face matched. Her eyes flicked towards me questioningly, and I abruptly broke my gaze. I wondered many things. What year was she? Why didn't I know her, outside the visions, if she was a Gryffindor? Why…the hell…would I want to kill her in the future?

My food proved quite difficult to eat after realizing the girl I was to murder was sitting just down the table from me. I took a deep, steadying breath, cast Cleaning and Aromatic Charms on myself, and, knees wobbling with anxiety, got up and walked down the table to say hi.

I was so nervous, I could barely think at all. What was I to say to her? How should I act? What if she hates me just like so many other people? My brain was certainly close to shutting down.

I nearly flinched when her eyes – a deep chocolate brown, whose bright light of life I'd seen disappear by my doing many times – looked up at me again. She gave a small grin, with eggs still between her teeth. I had to smile back a little, from the sight. She seemed friendly enough, at least.

"Ah…good morning, um…fellow Gryffindor!" I said awkwardly, but with a smile.

She swallowed her eggs. "Heya, Pete. You're welcome to take a seat, if you want." She talked like we'd known each other for years, strangely.

"Sure, thanks," I said, "Although I'm meaning to get to the Library to study."

"What the hell for? It's 5 AM!" she cried out with a grin. A portrait on the wall shushed her. "Oh, stick it up your gaping arse, you tit!" she told it off. I immediately realized that this was a girl that I could relax and be myself around.

"You told him."

"I know, right? Watch this!" She cocked an eyebrow and farted loudly. "I farted," she informed me, helpfully.

I had been feeling so much stress and terror that day that I broke down laughing, deliriously. I don't think she'd been expecting that response, because she first looked quite shocked, before she joined in the laughter with me.

"S-sorry, I've…had a really rough 24 hours," I said, wiping some tears.

"Oh, right! I saw you get denied, hard, by that Alice bitch," the girl said, looking sympathetic. "I'm terribly sorry about that. She's a total skank anyway, though. You're better off without her."

"I'm…are you serious?" I asked, stunned. I'd had such a pristine image of Alice before now. Although, I did know that she'd slept with Sirius…

"Yessir. I can report, Admiral Pettigrew, that Alice Fenten likes to take several men's stiffies up in several of her orifices. Often at the same time. Just kidding on that last part, but I promise that you are NOT missing much. Although, to be fair, a number of the Gryffindor girls, as well as the Slytherin girls…shall we say…play fast and loose with their undergarments?"

"Shit..." I sighed, leaning back. My heart felt stabbed…again. "I thought she was so innocent."

"And there's the fact that she's been with so many guys and she still didn't want you," the girl said with a saucy wink.

I glared at her. "Hey now! There's no reason to be nasty."

"Just pointing out the obvious," she said, shoveling more omelet sloppily in her mouth.

"And…you're not one of these slutty girls of which you speak?"

"Damn right, BITCH!" she grinned at me. "Not that there's any demand for me whatsoever, mind you."

"I see. So, what's your name?" I pressed the strange girl.

"I was wondering when you'd get to that! HAH! Surely you were intoxicated by my scintillating tongue all this time, weren't you?"

"Nah…you aren't THAT good with words," I teased her.

"My tongue IS gorgeous, though! Have you seen it?" she stuck it out at me to illustrate. It might have been alright, I don't know, but at the moment, it was covered with egg pieces.

"That is quite an attractive sight," I lied. "I can hardly keep from snogging you stupid, as a matter of fact."

She chuckled, in a decidedly unfeminine way – I kind of liked it.

"So…apparently you're not going to give me your name, huh?" I continued.

"Well, see, if I gave you my name, then you'd probably tell your buddies, and they'd tell their buddies, and then it would end up being just a huge invasion of my privacy, now wouldn't it?" She wiggled her eyebrows to punctuate her point.

"…Is…there a reason you don't want people to know your name?"

"No, not really," she said, itching her armpit and sniffing it. "Yeesh, I smell like crap! I was hoping that was you, not me!"

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, well…it's been LOVELY…"

"Tessa. Tessa Prewett," she said, finally introducing herself. "And I'm a year under you, in case you're wondering."

"I was. Desperately."

"Ah, well I'm psyched I could put your fears to rest." She smiled. "I have to pee, just in case you were wondering."

"Good to know. Er, it's nice to meet you, Tessa. I…didn't know there was even a Prewett in school right now."

"I'm…a bit of a black sheep in the family," she said, looking serious all of a sudden. "My mum, Tessie, is, for lack of a better phrase, a raving lunatic. And…Merlin, I HATE that fucking bitch!" she growled. I jumped a little at the sudden hate she displayed towards her mother.

"Um…are you..?"

"Ah! Sorry, sorry!" she said, looking genuinely apologetic now. Talk about strange mood swings. "I just…I have a long, contentious, personal history with my mum…I…didn't mean to weird you out."

"Don't worry, it's okay," I said.

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "You're a lot different than I thought you'd be. You actually seem to give a shit about me."

"What in the world made you think I wouldn't?" I grinned. I never saw myself as an egotistical, uncaring person.

"Let me ask you – did you ever notice my existence...ever…before today?" she said, looking cold still. I liked her wry, witty (albeit juvenile) side more, I think.

"Um…no…I honestly don't remember ever seeing you."

She smirked victoriously. "HAH! No one notices me. Everyone in this school is hopped up on their own ego trips. No one cares about anyone who's not in their face, ever. You wouldn't have ever talked to me, I bet, if it hadn't just been the two of us here, this morning."

"Oh, I don't think…"

"But! Like I said, you seem to actually care. It's weird," she said, smiling again. "I mean, you haven't said much, but I can see it in your eyes. You'd actually like to get to know me. I've never seen someone look at me that way before."

I blushed, spluttered, and looked away at that point.

She chuckled throatily again. "Don't worry, I'm not coming on to you. I wouldn't want to give you nightmares." That was…darkly ironic. "Anywho, I won't fault you for not noticing me all this time. I do my best to not draw attention to myself, anyway."

I wondered why, but shrugged and stood up, saying, "Well, like I said, I have a ton of work to do, so I'm gonna go, but…do you want me to walk you back up to the Common Room, Tessa?"

She looked at me with wide chocolate eyes. "Y-yes, that'd be nice. Thanks, Peter."

With both of us yawning heavily, I managed to guide her pajama-clad body back up to the tower, us enjoying each other's company in a sort of sleepy haze. I couldn't help but sneak peeks at her scrawny self as we went – she didn't seem to be wearing a bra under her purple cotton pajamas, and her breasts, while fairly petite, were still gorgeous (and jiggly) to behold. And the fact that she was leaning on me the entire way was making me feel quite jittery inside. However, as she said before, she did have quite an unpleasant musk about her.

But I didn't mind, actually. It was her unbathed smell, and I was happy. It was a complete experience of her as a person. I certainly didn't have any romantic attraction to her, but I no longer saw her as just an inevitable corpse. I saw her as a true, breathing human, an attractive girl, with doubts, fears, and anger all to her own. A complete person. And I would sooner die than see her die by my hand in this life.

"You know this Dark Lord who's rising? Supposedly murdering lots of people?" I murmured.

"Mm-hmm?" she said sleepily, snuggling against my arm as we stopped in front of the portrait.

"We're going to make it," I told her, giving her a side-hug. "He won't get either of us. I promise."

She looked up at me, blushing a little. "I'm certain he won't. And thanks, Peter…you didn't have to walk all this way with me."

"Oh, you know, Dark Lord and all that," I said with a wink, channeling my inner Sirius. "Anytime, my dear Tessa Prewett."

She saluted me. "It would be an honor, Commandant Pettigrew! Every morning at precisely this hour!"

"I thought I was an Admiral before?" I pouted.

"I changed my mind. You're far too conversational to be an Admiral. Deal with it, BITCH!"

"Fair enough. So, wait…why were you down there so early, anyway?"

"I told you…or, or wait, maybe I didn't," she said, stumbling a bit in her tiredness, "Fine, I'll tell you now, then! I don't like people."

"Really? All people?"

"Besides you and my cousins? Yup. Everybody else can go die a painful death, for all I care," she beamed. If that wasn't future Dark Magic user language, then I didn't know what was.

I chuckled anyway. "Well, I'm glad I made the cut."

"A very esteemed position, to be sure. Now, go away before you start annoying me or some shit," she commanded.

"Alright! Have a nice sleep!"

"You have a nice, steamy library time! Oh, and Peter…do try not to look at my breasts so often next time. I mean, I know they're pretty glorious, but…"

"I didn't…I mean, I wasn't…I didn't really…" Wow. I'd…never been caught before. Or at least called out on it.

"Uh-huh, yeah, sure. You won't look at them, if you value your life! Muahahaha!"

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't mean to, I promise. But I'll be more careful next time."

"Hey Peter."

"What?"

"Check out these BREASTS!" she exclaimed, moving her breasts around hyperactively with her hands. Needless to say, I was unable to not look. "HAH! You pervert!" she beamed, running up and kicking me in the knee. I gasped from the sharp pain and glared at her.

The fat lady in the portrait finally spoke up. "I say, you are most annoying, young Prewett girl!" I was starting to agree.

"You know what you can do? You can go fuck yourself!" Tessa informed the fat lady.

"Well, see ya," I said, turning and heading to the Library, getting the feeling that Tessa was actually trying to scare me off…as she said, she really despised being noticed at all.

And I know as well as anyone – if you don't want to be noticed by anyone…

...then you've got something to hide.

* * *

><p>I pushed Tessa and the visions from my mind as I delved back into my books, starting with the ones McGonagall recommended, knowing all too well that my own magical core and magical immersion were holding me back from successful casting. I threw myself first into the nature of the magical core. According to McGonagall's recommended author, Miles Turkell, each of the four pillars of the magical core contribute equally to healthy spellcasting. It's nearly impossible to cast O.W.L.-level and higher spells without mastering each of them. Here's what Turkell wrote about Pillar Augmentation:<p>

"For the Body pillar, a wizard must trim his body of all fat. Magic will not accept a body that is not suitable to its tastes – like the other pillars, the Body is essentially a sacrifice to the espers and umbers of magic. They will take offense if a Body is offered for their use if and when the wizard is even marginally unhappy with it. A perfected Body pillar will, once accepted, serve as a conduit for espers and umbers, their particles running through the arteries and sinews of the wizard. Once in shape and completely accepted by magic, a proper body may become magically sustained, enabling the wizard to remain fit and healthy on magic's input alone, allowing for a youthful appearance far into old age. As long as the wizard and magic have mutual faith in each other, the body will be sustained.

"For the Mind pillar, a wizard must develop an honest fascination and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, putting it above all but the requisites of the other three pillars. A wizard with a fit mind will feel excitement and joy from learning new information, no matter the subject. He will then consult problems he encounters with his enlightened mind first, before acting blindly. Lastly, he will impart his knowledge to others, demonstrating a deep appreciation for knowledge beyond himself. Once magic accepts a wizard's mind as an offering, a wizard should feel an unnatural clarity of thought, to the point where he no longer needs to study and is guided to making his own discoveries and insights through the hand of the espers and umbers of magic. He will feel compelled, where he had not before, to write tomes describing his new finds, recording them in magical history for all time.

"The latter two pillars are much more difficult to augment on one's own." Seriously? "For the Spirit pillar, a wizard must embrace the essence of life, finding a true appreciation for living and all things that live, even the smallest particles." I rolled my eyes here. "He must delve into the traits of joy, patience, hope, and love, live through those traits and understand them on a primal level. The wizard must also learn to put his complete faith into the will of magic and all spirits and people, even his enemies." Wow. This one really does sound difficult…to read without snickering, that is. "To assist in the wizard's delving into this spiritual awakening, I have provided eight ancient, transcendental meditations that, if followed to the letter, especially in regards to their emotional components, will go a long way towards perfecting a wizard's spirit." Thank goodness. "A wizard with an accepted spirit will feel magically reassured, content, and jovial to the extreme." That sounds lovely. I almost didn't want to read about the Soul pillar, but I really had no choice.

"Finally, the Soul pillar is the center of the magical core, and as such, is the most important piece to develop correctly. A wizard's soul is their primary magical identity, as it resides in all of magic. A wizard must learn to trust and value his own existence and understand his links with others in wizarding kind – that is, he must develop an appreciation for all wizards' souls and their singular oneness, purpose, and, contradictorily, their individuality. He must love himself unconditionally, while simultaneously shedding the trappings of the unreal. He must seek to be in love with magic, understanding that, without it, his soul would never exist. We are all begotten of the espers and the umbers that perpetuate magic, which is, in essence a physical manifestation of each wizard's soul. Similarly to the process for augmenting one's Spirit pillar, I have endeavored to include a number of ancient meditations and rituals that will develop a wizard's soul satisfactorily. A wizard with an accepted soul will cease to have nightmares, and feel unnaturally confident and powerful." Wicked. That sounds pretty good.

I immediately flipped through to find the instructions for the meditations and was dismayed to see that they all required several Magical Runes before they could be performed. I wasn't awful in Runework, but I certainly didn't trust my talent in the field enough to place my mind, soul, and spirit in its care. So, apparently, the first thing I'd have to do was freshen up on my Runework abilities.

After considering this, I opened McGonagall's other recommended book: About Magical Immersion, by Stephen Cyanwood. This one was much less philosophical and comfortingly forthright. It seemed to indicate that there is a universe within ours composed entirely out of rich, potent magic, in its raw form (the espers and umbers that Turkell seemed so fond of) and that witches and wizards (yes, Cyanwood saw fit to acknowledge that females exist, unlike Turkell) can attain a far more fluent relationship with magic if they pour themselves into this realm, dissolving the self into magical particles, then intermingling, communicating, and even becoming intimate with magic itself. I found the chapter on "Seducing and Lovemaking with Magical Particles" to be endlessly entertaining, and strangely erotic, in its own completely psychotic way. Cyanwood also imparted that crafting magical spells could only be done when a witch or wizard fully immersed themselves in magic, although this is a process requiring extraordinary willpower and focus, and a lack of either could result in the witch or wizard's immediate murder by the particles of magic themselves.

Bloody lovely. I was certainly interested, however, and I had no doubts that powerful new spells of my own make would be quite beneficial in a duel against Dumbledore or Voldemort, if only for the element of surprise and a guaranteed uncertainty of how to counter it.

I spent the rest of the day re-learning all my as-of-yet-unmastered spells from my first four years (which I didn't need an augmented Magical Core to perform), unleashing them on Hagrid's cabin until I could consider them mastered, and throwing myself into the process of learning Runework.

I was more excited all day than I could ever remember being before.

* * *

><p>(<em>Three days later<em>)

I was still trying to find a good routine, with which to make the most of each day. After getting the opposite of a good night's sleep every morning, I would reliably feel the desperate compulsion to go jogging around the lake.

I was surprisingly pleased with what I recognized as progress in my body's development. I was losing absolutely no weight so far, but it my bulk was becoming reassuringly firm all around. The beginnings of muscle were also starting to ache themselves into existence. Surprisingly, my complexion was beginning to clear up quite a bit, too. So far, it seemed my shaky faith in Sexy Syrup, Version 7 had paid off. For once, I was no longer ashamed or embittered to look myself in the mirror. It felt good…addictively so…to actually not completely hate my appearance.

Then came studying, which was still more or less disorganized, since I was still in the process of developing my Runework, which, after mastered, would serve as a gateway to several other avenues of training. I desperately needed to make a plan, to make better use of my time.

I had done my absolute best to avoid any distractions, which unfortunately meant distancing myself from my friends. Remus, bless his heart, sometimes shared a table with me in the library for a few hours, studying alongside me. It was comforting to have his friendship, but I simply didn't have the time or the effort to waste on keeping up pleasantries with him or the others, so I regretfully remained silent as often as possible, pausing only to ask him questions here and there. I don't think he minded…at least, I hope he didn't. Sirius and James seemed more or less accepting of my sudden, self-imposed cloistering, as well, but who knows what they really thought.

That wasn't my primary responsibility, unfortunately. I brought my research books with me to lunch, to the dorms, and to all my classes. If I ever felt even a hint of laziness creep up on me, asking my higher functions for a break, all it took to get rid of that instinct was a simple reflection on my daily nightmares, those horrific deaths… and my resolve would become twice as strong, once more.

I was studying silently at lunch when my family owl, Blackavar, glided into the Great Hall and delivered a rune-covered package. I beamed, fed Blackavar some treats, and held the heavy package to my chest – it was clearly the Pettigrew Family Grimoire! While it was common practice for Ancient Families, like mine, to deny weaker members of the family access to their respective grimoire, it seemed I had guessed accurately that my family, power-hungry as they are, would leap at any opportunity to make me less of a family embarrassment by any and all means.

"Oi, what's that, Peter?" James asked, his piercing eyes looking at me calculatingly.

"I haven't the foggiest," I lied with an elaborate shrug. "Whatever it is, it's bloody decked out with runes."

"Your family's pretty Dark, aren't they?" Sirius reasoned, slurping down some soup. "Maybe it's a booby trap or something, since you're not aligned with them."

James smirked at him. "You just said that as an excuse to say the word 'booby,' didn't you?"

"You know me too well, dear Prongsie!" Sirius said with a wink. "But you can't pretend to deny that you like the sound of that particular word!"

"Booby…" James said slowly, measuring the feeling of the word on his lips and tongue. "You're right, Padfoot. There is a certain innate enjoyment in that very word, itself."

"Only the best phonetic combinations are reserved for the best things in reality," Sirius pointed out. "Such as…"

"MOVING ON!" Remus interrupted, annoyed, apparently not interested in witnessing a "Sirius Moment" for the time being. "So, Peter, what do you think?

"About…what James said?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, obviously the thing's been padded down with excessive security wards. Your family clearly didn't want Dumbledore or the Castle knowing what's inside, or that it had even arrived here."

"I daresay you're right," I said, pretending to look thoughtful. "I've been trying to get better at my Runework recently – I'll give deactivating the security wards a go. Whatever it is, I doubt it'll be directly damaging. It is addressed from my own mother, after all."

Sirius snorted. "My own mother would not hesitate to lower my body into a cauldron of boiling-hot oil while impaling a pole through my cranium, given the chance. Just saying."

"Even so, I'm on good terms with my family, so I feel certain that I'll, at the very least, be unharmed by opening it."

"I dunno, Peter," James said, slurping his pumpkin juice (Which in turn inspired me to drink some of mine. Fucking delicious, that stuff.) "I think you should turn it in to McGonagall. That package gives me a bad feeling."

"Really, Prongs? YOU of all people want to hand something over to a teacher?" I said, exasperatedly. "Look, it's fine, I can handle it."

The other three shared a look of dubiousness.

"Whatever," I growled, feeling a pressing need to go rip this grimoire wide open. I excused myself and fled to Hagrid's hut, seating myself against the back wall after greeting the gigantic man.

I took out parchment and made note of every single security ward I could find, realizing, with some excitement, that they weren't actually as secure as they looked at first glance – it seemed my mom purposefully made them barely functional, in order to allow me to slip in and unlock it without any trouble.

After ten minutes of making runes and thereafter casting the requisite charms, I had successfully broken in to my own package. Delighted at my small victory, I ripped the package open like it was a Christmas present. I was not disappointed – there, in all its Ancient, rustic, bloodstained, leather-bound glory, awaited the Pettigrew Family Grimoire.

"Thank Merlin!" I grinned, opening the enclosed envelope and reading a brief message from my loving mum, telling me how proud she was of me and how grown up I was being. She said she always knew I had a Slytherin side, and that I was to show her that I'd made use of the grimoire over the winter holidays. Lastly, she informed me on the process for opening the ancient tome.

I removed the heavy book from what was left of the package, pricked my palm on the supplied needle in the center of the cover, and smeared my running blood in a circle around the circumference of the family crest, which took up most of the book's surface. I was rewarded when the crest began glowing, welcoming me to access its secrets.

I quickly took to reading, with intensity and excitement in my very blood. The pages, all smeared with the blood of my ancestors, told of the ancient arts of the Pettigrew family. Apparently, the practice was for each generation of the family to contribute a massive dose of espers and umbers to two primary spells, which only family members could use, accordingly. The two spells were the Pettigrew Obliteration Spell (which would produce VERY accurate arcs of constantly detonating umbers, which could break through practically any defensive spells) and the Pettigrew Earthrend Spell (which, using a combination of trillions of espers and the forgotten art of Earth Magic, could create an enormous barrage of stalagmite spikes to erupt towards the target). The grimoire lauded these two spells' capacity for destruction to the heavens, claiming that they're far more powerful than any other ancient families' spells. I severely doubted that, but I nonetheless enjoyed reading my ancestors' handwriting.

Only people with incredibly well-developed magical cores could access these spells, and the Pettigrew would also have to undergo an extremely painful-sounding ancient rite to gain their use. I immediately vowed to harness the power of these spells, at whatever expense necessary.

The rest of the grimoire was interesting, but not especially helpful. It did, however, give lots of advice and strategies for pureblood politics that I found fascinating. More fascinating were instructions it gave to craft a relic made of solid gold that could enable a Pettigrew to have a much easier time with Transfiguration. It seemed my family has a particular lack of skill in the subject, so this device could help Pettigrews compensate for their lack of competency in the subject. Such a device could only be beneficial, so I set forth to make it.

* * *

><p>(<em>Two weeks later<em>)

Although I'd tried to keep an eye out for the mysterious Tessa Prewett, it seemed she was as keen as I was on avoiding giving anyone the light of day. It was no wonder that I'd never noticed her before – the girl seemed to know exactly what parts of the Gryffindor common room and the other parts of the school were covered in shadow, and opted to hide in those places whenever possible. I was very interested in her, but I also had more important things to do, so I didn't go out of my way to talk to her, although I certainly did make cursory attempts to converse with her whenever the chance presented itself.

She seemed consistently pleased at the company, but would always quickly excuse herself, almost always at the precise instant I'd feel the need to go back to my studies. It was damned odd. Another strange thing about her was her perpetual lack of cleanliness. For someone who complained about her smell as much as she did, she never seemed to make any attempts to change her general unkemptness in her appearance, behavior, and smell. I had no explanation for it, other than the fact that she might simply be a loon. Her hair was ratted and disheveled, her robes stained, unbuttoned, and torn, and her face constantly smudged in dirt. I sort of felt sorry for her, but it was also hard to feel that way when she seemed so unmotivated to do anything to change it.

I, on the other hand, was feeling very confident about my appearance! Lockhart's stuff was working its magic quite reliably on me. Surprisingly rock-hard muscles were now rippling on all parts of my body, and my arse had, indeed, been toned to be one of considerable shapeliness (in my opinion, at least – obviously, I'm not an expert on male assets). Such changes had gone almost entirely ignored though, which first made me think it was perhaps all in my head, until one day when McGonagall made a passing compliment on my athletic progress.

I was delighted, of course, since it was she who tasked me with it in the first place, but it also made me realize just how ignored I was by most people. I looked a LOT different now, and ONLY my Head of House noticed. That's pretty sad. I hadn't noticed until then just how forgettable my classmates saw me as being. At least Tessa seemed to make an actual effort to avoid public awareness. No one apparently give a flying shag about me.

However, that played into my mission a bit; the more time I had to myself, the more time I had to better myself.

I arrived at DADA class today alone, as usual. This was quickly becoming my favorite class, as it typically allowed me to practice any new spells and my freely express personal reign over my own magic.

The other three Marauders were already seated. After I hesitated a bit, unsure of how they'd receive me, I went over to join them. Sirius already seemed in the midst of a Sirius Moment.

"So all of a sudden," he said, "There was this bloody obese cow that showed up, just flopping onto the ground in front of my house! It was lost, so Peter and I naturally tried to take it home, but it was fucking heavy, obviously, so then we performed a _Levicorpus_ on it…"

I shared a look of bewilderment with James and Remus.

"And then Narcissa showed up to visit me, for some reason. And she and I played Wizarding Chinese Checkers for a long time. It was so bloody real! I could feel and smell everything! It was mad, the level of detail! I'm telling you, this was more than a dream!" He leaned forward to us and whispered, "It was a vision…of the future."

Immediately, the three of us descended into laughter, which visibly irritated Sirius.

"I'm pretty sure that was just a regular dream, Sirius…" Remus informed him patiently.

"Nope. It was the future. You're all just jealous!"

James chuckled and leaned forward, tears streaming. "Alright, suppose it was a vision of the future…how, in the BLOODY hell, did you find out from the cow that it was lost?"

"I dunno, I guess it told Peter so. I heard it from him." I could see the gears superfluously whirring in Sirius's mind behind his eyes. "It must be a cow Animagus!"

I smacked my grinning face with my palm. "Clearly. And why would someone, hypothetically, want a bloody cow as their Animagus form, hm?"

Sirius chuckled. "I already thought about that one. I suspect they just like having milk pumped out of their plump, perky nipples so much that they just wanted to be able to give milk at all times!"

"And…why was this cow Animagus so fat?" James asked with a large grin.

"Probably cuz she never gets shagged, you know? So she just put on a bunch of weight and gets her only pleasure in life from getting her nipples sucked." Sirius looked far too pleased with himself for just uttering such a completely idiotic sentiment. This was DEFINITELY a Sirius Moment.

"Sirius…" Remus said with a weary sigh. "Perhaps you should look at this…vision…not as a glimpse of the future, but, perhaps, a metaphor for something you're thinking about at the moment."

"But the dream didn't have Hestia Jones begging to slurp my fat pecker in it," Sirius said skeptically.

"No, no, not what you're ACTIVELY thinking about," Remus said quickly. "While you sleep, the brain deals with your subconscious thoughts and desires by manifesting them in a dream in some way."

"I agree with Remus," I put in. "You should try to think about what it might really mean."

Sirius still looked skeptical. "But…it felt so REAL…I could smell her perfume…it was cherry blossom, and so incredibly intense."

"Right, so, why was Narcissa suddenly in the dream, for instance?" I asked hypothetically. "And you clearly abandon the cow-moving plot alongside me to give in to her wishes."

"Wait -" Sirius said, standing up with a glare. "You're not accusing me of having the hots for my little cousin, are you?"

"Uh, no, not in the slightest," I said, cocking an eyebrow. Where did that conclusion come from? Suspicious. "I was just about to suggest that a buried part of you still questions your move to forsake your family. Choosing her over me, and…the cow…could signify you wanting, without realizing it, to choose the Blacks over the Marauders."

"NEVER!" he vowed with a violent sweep of his hand (and a small spray of saliva).

"Peter's right," James said, nodding approvingly.

"Are you calling me a traitor?" Sirius demanded.

"No, stupid," Remus said with a roll of the eyes. "Subconscious means it's something that's either buried and you don't realize you think that, or that you have suppressed those feelings in light of what your active mind believes. Neither of those situations would make you a traitor to the Marauder cause."

"Oh, right." Sirius beamed and sat back down, all hostility quite easily dissipated.

"Wow. Anyway, how are you doing these days, Wormy?" James queried, not actually looking at me.

"Busy, really," I said, drumming my fingers on my textbook. "In light of all these rumored attacks, I've decided, as I've said before, to try to get myself up to speed in Defense, just in case the worse happens, you know."

"I see," James said, his eyes turning towards me. Before he got a chance to say anything else, our Defense Professor this year, Professor Hightower, strode into the room. She had a Mediterranean complexion and, oddly for a woman, a completely shaved head. She was also fairly young and attractive, but rumours had it that she played for the other team…

"Please forgive my tardiness, students," she said with a friendly smile. "Have you all been able to successfully cast an _Incarcerous_?"

Frightfully few spoke an affirmation. Professor Hightower sighed. "You lot…alright, how about we have a few demonstration duels, using only _Incarcerous _and the Shield Charm? Who would like to give it a go?"

The Marauders and I all raised our hands, along with Lily, Mary MacDonald, Snape's posse, and a handful of others.

"Fair enough. Let's see…how about…Mr. Pettigrew, thank you for volunteering, dear, and….Mr. Snape, there's a good lad."

That certainly got people interested – there was a palpable intake of breath throughout the room. The Marauders whooped and hollered in support of me, while the Slytherins sang Snape's praises. Snape gave me an ugly sneer, which I returned with a bit of a cocky grin. This was going to be entertaining.

Once Snape and I were in place on the dueling mat in the front of the room, we patiently turned to regard the Professor.

"Standard dueling rules apply. The duel is decided when one combatant is unable to continue or touches the floor off the mat." She looked between us, intently. "Now, I know you two have a personal history," (here, she was momentarily interrupted with cheers of anticipation from the audience – I could see the obvious anxiety of the Gryffindors in my being selected, whereas the Slytherins all looked quite relaxed and pleased with themselves.) "but do remember that you may ONLY use either _Incarcerous_ or _Protego_, no other spells. Discipline will be harsh if either of you go against these rules."

"Just get on with it, dyke!" Snape seethed, his black eyes burrowing deep into mine. He was trying to intimidate me, of course. But it wouldn't work.

The Professor glared at him, but said, "Very well – on your marks…get set…"

Before she even said "GO," Snape nonverbally cast three _Incarcerous_ spells. It's an invisible spell, but I could sense the espers he cast tunnel swiftly towards me through the air.

To save time, I collapsed to the ground, rolled out of the way as the chains blasted into existence right above and next to me, and sent an _Incarcerous_ of my own towards his feet, verbally (I hadn't yet mastered nonverbal spells).

He jumped over my spell and sent another one surging towards me.

I cast a shield charm as I got to my feet, thereafter launching _Incarcerous _after _Incarcerous_ towards different points around the ceiling, holding them in stasis for now. Snape frowned and continued his frontal assault, which I sidestepped via my magical immersion.

"How the FUCK are you doing that?" Snape raged, his face contorted with ferocity.

"What, this?" I asked blithely, summoning down the assortment of _Incarcerous_ from the ceiling, which rained down on him from a variety of different angles.

"HAH!" he gloated, deflecting them all with a massive _Protego_ over his head. I was counting on that, however, since _Protego_ produces only a half-sphere shield. His lower body was completely vulnerable.

So, as soon as he cast the upper _Protego_, I blasted an _Incarcerous _of my own to his feet, successfully making contact!

"YES!" I crowed, casting several more over his body as he tried, futilely, to break them off with more _Protego_.

"This isn't over! This isn't…BLEEHHGH! UGHH!" He was silenced as my chains tightened around his face, neck and throat. "GEH!" he coughed, followed by a pained moan. Foam bubbled up from his lips.

"Professor!" Lily cried in alarm.

Professor Hightower, who had seemed to be enjoying Snape being strangled as much as I did, reluctantly declared. "This duel goes to Mr. Pettigrew!" and issued the counterhex.

I was treated, to my surprise, to a standing ovation from my housemates, to whom I grinned and blushed, after which I bashfully left the stage to rejoin my peers. As I was pat on the back by the blokes and cheered for by several girls (Alice refused to make eye contact with me still, however), I turned my eyes back to Snape, who remained lying on the stage. My rage had certainly gotten the better of me up there, and, despite it being Snape, I regretted doing that to him. I could hear his neckbones cracking from the force of my chains.

His eyes glowered at me in pained, cold fury as the Professor told him to show himself to the hospital wing.

"Right on, mate!" Sirius said, offering me a tight hug that snapped me out of my staring contest with the Slytherin.

"You did us proud, Peter," Remus told me with a clasp of my shoulder. "I'd say your time in the library is bloody well paying off."

"Bloody right, it is! You showed that slimy git his place!" James grinned from behind, but I could see that his support for me didn't reach his eyes. He was clearly bothered by something…most probably my absence.

Unfortunately for our friendship, that wasn't about to change anytime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ** Hello, all! I hope you enjoyed that! :) I deeply appreciate everyone who has reviewed thus far, and I dearly hope to have the honor of your continued readership!

I'm getting a kick out of the story so far, and I hope you are, too! I'm finding Harry Potter fanfiction to be much easier to get myself pumped up for writing than the other fandoms I wrote for in the past…it must be because all I ever read on the site are HP fanfics, so it's a huge treat to be able to supply one of my own!

As always, I'm VERY interested in your feedback on ANY part of the story, positively or negatively. Reviews are the only thing that makes writing fanfiction worthwhile, for me, anyway, so please give it a shot and tell me what you think. :) And, once more, any input on where you want this to go, plotwise, would be remarkably appreciated.

Also, what did you think of my OC, Tessa Prewett? She's the only daughter of Ron's great-aunt Tessie, the same Tessie whose dress robes he likely inherited in Goblet of Fire. She has many secrets, much more to do, and will have a large impact on the plot…at least, the way I'm planning things at the moment.

Lastly, the Pettigrew Obliteration Spell is supposed to be the dark explosive spell he used in canon at the moment when he frames Sirius and kills the other muggles.


	4. Breaking News In Half

**A/N: **Wow! I can't believe how long it took me to update this story! You have my permission to berate me mercilessly.

Regardless, I've been working every night for the last two weeks on this update, which resulted in me writing WAY more than could fit into one chapter. Therefore, I've divided it in half. This first half is quite dialogue-heavy, but some interesting stuff still occurs, of course. Of course, I hope it's enjoyable dialogue, anyway. A few big fights happen in the next chapter, though, which I'll strive to get up tonight, if at all possible (It's finished – I just need to edit it a bit).

Regardless, kick back and enjoy the newest installment of Rise of the Fourth Marauder!

Disclaimer: I own nothing at ALL, especially not this story. Wait, that didn't come out exactly right…oh well, close enough! XD Also, I'm giving this story image thing a shot - this image of young Peter was created by Deviant Art User ~tina-lynn, so all props related to the picture should be directed her way.

* * *

><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter Four – Breaking News…In Half**

Duels continued throughout class, to a variety of results – Remus won, as usual, but James and Lily actually lost to their Slytherin opponents, much to the shock and grief of the other Gryffindors. I decided to actually watch and participate in the matches as a spectator, rather than turn back to my books immediately as I had been doing recently. I was comfortable, for the moment, with counting my victory against Snape as a mark of my progress. I still considered these people my friends, after all, and there was no reason to discount them just because I'd been cloistering myself away for a month.

My studying really seemed to be working so far, and exercising the four pillars of my magical core was definitely giving me more magic to work with. Earlier in the year, I don't know if I'd have even been able to pull off just one _Incarcerous_! But my newly taut body and my knowledge-hungry mind were certainly making a difference in the amount of magic I had command over. Naturally, my three meditations were helpful, too, but I'd only just started doing them.

The point was, though – I now was, at worst, keeping pace with my year, a feat I had never accomplished before. It felt GOOD. Addictively good.

As such, I was beaming with smiles by the time I walked out of the classroom, inhaling the musky Hogwarts air affectionately. It was good to be on the right track, for once!

"Good afternoon, Mr. Pettigrew!" an insincere-sounding female voice resounded from directly in front of me. I jumped in shock, narrowly avoiding a collision with the speaker.

"Er...hullo?" I managed to respond, flicking my eyes up and recognizing a pair of Hufflepuff girls from my year. Rita Skeeter was the one who greeted me. Her hair was curled quite heavily, making her look far older than other girls in our year. Her eyes glinted with something I didn't usually see on a girl that wasn't Bellatrix – ambition and greed.

Beside her, looking wholly unwilling to be there, was Rita's usual sidekick, Amelia Bones. Amelia was the last person you would normally expect to be friends with a girl as skin-curling to be around as Rita, but I suppose Amelia was the only person who'd tolerate her when they'd first met, after which Rita simply must have adopted her as her best friend. Amelia can be fairly cold for a Hufflepuff, and is known to be intelligent, logical, and perceptive. As far as I know, she's never had a boyfriend…but she wouldn't have ANY trouble trying to procure one, with her incredibly desirable looks and figure.

I blushed as I made eye contact with Amelia and quickly looked back to Rita, to better stay in control of my mental faculties.

"My sources tell me that you've just handed Severus Snape a viciously crushing defeat, rendering him unconscious! Would you like to share a firsthand account of your victory?" she batted her eyelashes at me prettily, but I wasn't stupid enough to fall for a trick as old as that.

"…Why?" I responded exasperatedly. Amelia snickered a little, though I'm not sure who it was directed at.

"Well!" Rita huffed. "It's for the school paper, of course! The Hogwarts Herald!"

"We…_have_ a school paper?" James asked skeptically as he and the other Marauders stopped to stand beside me.

Rita gaped at James briefly, her face flushing a deep scarlet (apparently she harbors a crush on him), before collecting her wits and responding, more shakily this time, "Y-yes, I, um, feel that the school could use its own paper. There's a lot that goes on in this school, you know, especially with you…I-I mean, you all attending!" she flashed a grin.

"This is our only idea for a story, by the way," Amelia divulged with a bored look in her eye. "We brainstormed for an entire five seconds to come up with it."

"Right, and we don't need any other story as long as we have you guys!" Rita beamed, actually managing to look pretty adorable for a second before she put her mask of professionalism back on.

"And Professor Dumbledore okayed it?" Remus checked.

"Oh, absolutely. Why wouldn't he?" Rita said, looking highly offended.

"I can think of at least fifteen reasons off the top of my head," Amelia muttered while picking at her fingernails.

"Then there's no harm in answering some questions…I…suppose," I suggested, trailing off as I saw a crazed, hungry look enter Rita's eyes.

"Agreed!" Sirius declared, clapping Remus and I on the shoulder. "I think a little healthy publicity is what we've been missing in our castle-wide exploits, my brothers!"

Rita cleared her throat. "Okay, first question – what do the Marauders stand for? Do you have any grand ideals? Purposes? Desires?"

James grinned and spoke up before Sirius could say anything unflattering. "We stand for the principle that wizards and witches, being gifted with magic, should have the freedom to use it and explore it boundlessly, outside the confines of the societal and scholastic norm. As such, our typical demonstrations and pranks are all representative of our group's pursuit of limitless, unhinged magic. It is our right, as wizards."

"W-w-wow, that was amazing, James!" Rita gasped. "You got all that, didn't you, Amelia?"

"Sure did," Amelia said, rapidly scratching her quill on a pad of paper.

"Okay, next question - um, Peter – what's your secret? It's not just anyone who can topple Severus Snape in a duel."

I didn't really want to draw attention to myself when my cloistered study sessions had been going so well, but I thought I'd give this publicity thing a shot, anyway. "Strategy, really. Whenever you're going up against an opponent with more raw power than you, your only chance to win is to outthink them. I don't think Snivellus really expected me to put up much of a fight, either, which gave me a distinct advantage."

"I see, I see!" Rita said, as Amelia scribbling furiously on her pad. "Oh! How rude of me! Would you all like to sit?" Waving her wand, she conjured up four comfy chairs for us to sit on, with quite an impressive bit of transfiguration magic.

We're really doing this…it's kind of intimidating, to be honest.

She made an ottoman for herself, and sat along with us. "Now then…"

"Do I get a chair?" Amelia asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"No, of course not - you have to focus! Sitting down will only hurt your concentration!" Rita said sweetly.

"You're so considerate," Amelia replied.

Sirius spoke up. "You know, I happen to have a lap here, and it happens to have just enough room to support Amelia Bones's buttocks…"

Amelia beamed at him. "I'd rather get mauled by cannibals, thanks!"

"No problem!" Sirius said with a cheeky wink.

"Okay, back to business!" Rita said importantly, "I'd like to thank the other Marauders for their patience, but, if it's alright, I'd like to direct another question to Peter."

"Fair enough," James said, spreading his hands magnanimously.

"Right, okay," she eyed him nervously, her legs shaking a bit. "Er…Peter, just last week, surveys revealed that you were most known for vomiting all over one Alice Fenten…"

"Who has a fantastic arse!" Sirius pointed out.

"Indeed. As do I!" James explained.

Rita patently ignored them. "…as you were competing in a Potions competition. So…what changed? You don't seem to be nervous anymore, and, um…" She ran her eyes quickly over my body, which was still clothed in sweaty dueling garb, which, as I was suddenly aware, clung to my body shape more than our standard robes. "…you're known as the most undesirable Marauder…"

"Why, thank you. I appreciate that." I said. After a moment of silence, I asked, "Is that the end of the question?"

"Oh! Yes!" she said, with a flush of embarrassment.

"W-well, I've been attempting, recently, to catch up with the rest of my class in my studies, and, er…I'm taking steps to build up my magical core and also immersing myself in magic. I follow a strict schedule I made for myself, which is doing a lot to improve my spellwork thus far. As a result, I'm also feeling more confident," I said with a smile that probably didn't look confident at all.

"I see…thank you…" Amelia said, quill scratching away.

"No problem."

"Alright, I'd now like to address the group as a whole…"

"As a whole lot of sexy?" James suggested.

Amelia smirked while Rita tried and failed to smother a giggle. "So, would the four of you ever consider admitting a fifth member into your ranks?"

"No, of course not," James waved her off. "It's always been the four of us, and it will always be just the four of us. We each have other close friends not in the group, obviously, but the truth is, the Marauders represent a close bond between four guys who have experienced a great many trials and challenges together. The group is, I guess you could say, nostalgic to us, and it would numb that feeling a bit to let someone else join."

"Very well." Rita looked to Amelia. "Did you get all that?" Amelia answered by extending her middle finger. Rita groaned and continued, "How about your nicknames?"

"Codenames," Sirius corrected her.

"Alright, my mistake. Codenames. Many, in Hufflepuff, at least, have speculated about what they could have been inspired by. Care to share their origins?"

"We would love to," James said, with an apologetic shrug, "but I'm afraid we'd have to lock you in a dungeon for the REST of your LIVES if we did so! Or else just obliviate you."

"That option would save the cost of living expenses, Prongsie," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Hmm…next, let's say a girl hypothetically wanted to get close to one of you," she said, unsubtly looking at James as she did, "What advice would you give her to better win your heart?"

Before anyone else could speak, Sirius declared, "She shouldn't be wearing a bra, period. That is all."

The girls both stared at him with hilarious expressions of incredulity.

I cleared my throat and said the only thing I could think of, which was inspired by Tessa's tendency to avoid showers at all cost. "Er, also, I'd advise her to take showers. Cleanliness is very attract…"

"No," Sirius cut me off. "No bra. That is all she needs to do to. If she does so, I will fall in love with her immediately."

Remus finally spoke up. "Do ignore him, he's just attention-starved. I like a girl with a passion for knowledge, who goes out of her way to seek out more things to learn at all times."

"I agree, actually," Sirius said. "It's better to have a girl that's smarter than you."

"That…wouldn't be hard to achieve, in your case," I enlightened him.

"Indeed." Remus grinned. "Although I also concur with the other two's responses."

"As do I," I put in.

As Amelia scribbled down the conversation with a snicker, Rita turned expectantly to James. "What about you, J-J-J…er, Potter?"

James pursed his lips. "While I do agree that all those are marvelous traits for a woman to have, especially Sirius's answer, I already have my heart set on one very special girl. As such, the girl from the question should strive to imitate, nay, surpass her. And by this I mean for her to dye her hair red and turn her eyes into an intense green." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Rita nodded dumbly, her face flushed. I don't think she actually heard anything that James said. "So, um…one last question – where do the four of you land on the blood purity debate? Three of you are Purebloods, after all."

"Well, as I may have implied when I shared the group's goal earlier," James answered, "We want all witches and wizards, regardless of descent to be able to pursue their careers and the fair use of magic. Muggleborns should be freed from the constant monitoring of the government that's causing such a stir these days. They're wizards and witches, just like you and me, so why not let them enjoy doing what it means to be wizard or witch?"

"But, if you let them just run amok like that, won't the Muggleborns eventually overrun us?" Rita argued. "What about the countless traditions of the old families? What right do Muggleborns have to fundamentally change our culture when they're practically guests here, in the first place?"

"Not a bad argument, but one could argue that it's the responsibility of the families that wish to preserve their pure lineage, culture, and traditions to do so themselves. No one is saying that they can't still wed solely other Purebloods. The traditions can easily continue if things change."

"But the culture will be so different with all those ignorant Muggleborns working all our jobs, and seducing our children, right? Keeping wizarding traditions alive is all well and good, but if the wizarding world has been, excuse the expression, muddied up in the meantime…then what's the point when such values no longer mean anything? Besides, since Muggleborns are much weaker than normal wizards and witches, shouldn't first bid for students and employees go towards those with wizarding blood?"

"I've done some research on the subject recently," I said, risking speaking up, "And, in a way, you're right – Muggleborns have less potential for power than Purebloods do, since they have no residual ancestral energy or specializations to draw from. However, most Purebloods cannot reach their full potential, anyway, due to various circumstances that prevent them from spending the time necessary to become more powerful. Moreover, inbreeding vastly weakens the ancient lines as well, though the government likes to suppress that truth. In the end, some Muggleborns must be introduced in a family line from time to time to keep it fresh. Besides, what does power have to do with being a desk clerk or a professor? Nothing. It's knowledge and aptitude that's the key, and Muggleborns have as much of an opportunity to excel in those as any wizard."

"I see! That's a very interesting opinion," Rita said, looking at Amelia's notes with a smile. "Any other comments before we wrap up?"

"I'd like to point out that not all of us agree that Pureblood traditions are worth their weight in gold," Sirius said, adopting a stern look. "I was raised in a very fundamentalist household, and if I was to succinctly describe my relationship with my family, I'd say they were unloving, abusive, corrupt, demented, and hateful. Not only to me, but to everyone. I'm not saying all Pureblood families are like that, of course, but several of the ones that I was forced to interact with as a child gave me the same cold, insane feeling. I'm not sure what can or should be done about this, but it is a serious problem. After school, I'd like to find a way to help kids get away from abusive families and to be raised in a more healthy way by other wizarding families."

"A very noble stance, to be sure," Rita said, looking briefly at Remus, who was looking lazily about the hallway. "Well then, I think that's all we need from you fine gentlemen…"

"Oh! One last thing," James announced.

"What's that?"

"I'd just like to say that one of my favorite things about Severus Snape is how thoughtful and generous a fellow he is."

"Indeed," Sirius said with a nod, "and the only reason he isn't just bombarded by female suitors at all times is because he, very strategically, covers himself every morning with a thick lather of facial grease."

"We'll be sure to get those comments in the article for you, for sure," Amelia said with a grin. "Now, then…shall we?"

"Thanks so much for your time, guys!" Rita beamed. "I'm sure you'll hear from us again."

We thanked them and went on our way, joking and nudging each other as we went. I felt like it went pretty well – I believed we would all come off looking like the true, noble delinquents we were.

How naïve I was.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the post arrived bearing the first issue of the Hogwarts Herald. Any enthusiasm I felt was quickly replaced with dread when I saw most of the student body turn as one to stare at me.<p>

"Er…may I see that?" I asked Sirius, who was gawking at his copy. He angrily thrust it in my face. The title headline was "**Peter Pettigrew: Blood Supremacist!**"

"WHAT?!" I screamed. "How is that even possible?"

"Look it quoted you, right there," James said, pointing with his wand to my quote.

There it was: "I've done some research on the subject recently, and… Muggleborns have less potential for power than Purebloods do, since they have no residual ancestral energy or specializations to draw from." The rest of the article was pitched to make it look like I was a bloodthirsty bigot of doom, and that my slip up alluded to the hidden malicious intent of the Marauders as a whole. We were, supposedly, a front for corruption; our jovial, practical joking exterior likely only existing to throw everyone off so we could pursue our twisted aims in secret.

"That stupid, callous bitch," I growled, tossing it aside.

"W-well, at least they did a nice job on the personal preferences piece." Remus said, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere. "They got most of our clever quips in there."

"Well, I like the polls section," James said, grinning at me maliciously. "Peter, in popularity polls amongst witches, you're actually losing to bloody Snivellus! That takes a lot of effort, mate."

Sirius clapped me on the back. "Have fun wallowing in your virginity till the end of time!"

"Thanks. I appreciate that," I said, stretching. "Well, it's getting late in the morning, I'd better go get back to my studies." Feeling completely humiliated and worthless, I plastered a blank look on my face and walked with my head held high out of the Great Hall. I kept going, anger slowly building, till I got to the library, hid my head in my arms and hissed with agony.

After a few moments of quivering, I detected a familiarly unclean scent approach. "Is…is there something wrong?" Tessa asked, hesitantly. "Er, well, duh. Obviously you're suffering. It's rare to see you like this, bitch!" I heard her slide slinkily into the seat across from me.

I tried to regain a semblance of control before looking up at her. "Tessa. Should've known you'd be here during breakfast."

"Pssh, why would I eat when everyone's there?" she said with a sunny smile. Her face was especially dirt-encrusted this morning, her hair looking quite tribal and disheveled. "Anyway, is there anything I can do to help you out?"

"W-well…" I hesitated, finding myself unable to make eye contact with the girl I murder every night in my dreams. "I suppose…I could use a hug? Maybe."

Tessa laughed. "YOU are a riot. You want a hug from ME?!" She blinked, seeing that I wasn't smirking. "Er…you're being serious?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, forget I said anything. Anyway, what happened was…" I stopped talking, for Tessa abruptly leapt forward across the table towards me, smiling stupidly the entire time. "GYAAH?!"

"You want a hug, you've got one!" she sang, throwing her gaunt, bony arms around my shoulders. Her momentum was such that, after she arrived at my chair, we toppled straight over with a harmonized scream.

"Ow! Back!" I groaned due to the backing of the chair jutting sharply into me. When I opened my eyes, I realized that, somehow, she'd slid forward so much that her warm, cotton pyjama-clad crotch was straddling my face. "Um…Tessa?" I said, moving my hands to gently push her off by her thighs.

To my utter astonishment, she actually pressed herself down harder onto my face a couple times, like she was humping me. Then, equally surprisingly, she made a shriek of what sounded like pure horror and leapt off my face, hands tightly covering her crotch.

"Don't you DARE!" she exclaimed, looking extremely disturbed.

I got up as quickly as I could, hands raised to demonstrate my innocence. "W-w-wait, calm down, neither of us are at the fault…"

"Son of a BITCH!" she screeched, leaping forward and punching me in the chest. However, due to my chest now being composed purely of muscle, it did more damage to her than it did to me.

"Fuck," she muttered, rubbing her knuckles.

"It was a complete and total accident, I swear," I said.

Managing to pull herself together again, she smirked at me. "You look a lot more cheered up now, though."

"I…guess you're right – I do feel better now."

"Such is the power of a vaginal attack to the face!" she declared, spit flying from her lips.

"Apparently so," I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"So, er…how was it?" she asked, her mouth stretching into a Cheshire-like smile.

"Ehehe, um…well, it was my first time I've had a girl's, you know…"

"Snatch? Treasure trove of happiness? Holiest of holies?"

"Yeah. First time having one of those in my face, and I was honestly too surprised and worried you were going to castrate me to really enjoy myself," I said, quite honestly.

"Ha!" Tessa laughed, throwing her psycho-mane about. "Well, too bad for you! That's the last time you're getting lip service from MY garden of earthly delights."

"You are something else," I said nervously.

"No I'm not!" she said in mock offense. "I'm a girl. You, of all people, should know after your spelunking session."

I was blushing all kinds of red now, as was she. "How about we please don't talk about that anymore?"

"Maybe not talk, my darling, but I'll ALWAYS think back to this moment every night when I'm handling other clients at my brothel," she breathed in a mockery of an aroused voice. I really hoped, for everyone's sake, that she did not, in fact, work at a brothel. She then switched back to normal-mode Tessa (which still wasn't all that normal). "So, what were you upset about, anyway?"

"I made headlines this morning in the school paper…in a BAD way."

She raised an eyebrow. "You should enjoy your 50 seconds of fame, then."

"You're one to talk, Miss Fear-of-Being-Noticed!"

"I know, right? I would HATE that."

"I'm not exactly outgoing, myself," I said with a roll of the eyes. "At any rate, if you read or hear that I'm a closet pureblood supremacist, just know that I'm not."

"Well, we already know you're a closet carpet-muncher – you must have a pretty large closet of suppressed behaviors," she said with a thoroughly seedy grin.

Ignoring her, I said "All I want to do is keep studying. I'll just retreat into the shadows for now."

"Hey now, them there are my shadows, mate. And, uh, I don't need a pervert there who can't keep his face to himself!" she declared with a snicker.

"You know what you can do, Miss Prewitt?" I said, stepping forward with a smirk. I'll say this for her – her large, chocolate eyes are just adorable.

"Oh? This oughta be good. Do tell, Mister Pettigrew."

"If you don't like me up in your shadow," I began, Tessa snorting loudly. "You can beg Snivellus to take you into one of his. I hear he's something of a specialist when it comes to presenting his hidey-holes to his potential roommates."

Tessa beamed. "Nicely DONE."

"Thanks," I chuckled.

"Well, I think I can trust Snape to not rape me just slightly less than I can you, bitch."

"Oh, I'm pretty certain you can trust me on that front."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Tessa demanded with a grin and playful smack on the shoulder. Both of us in a very good mood, we lounged in the shadowy corners of the Restricted Section, studying magic together in peace.

* * *

><p>After working for a few hours, I quickly decided that, if I was going to maximize my time preparing for taking down the Dark Lord, I'd have to plot out my time wisely to account for every necessary branch of study. I listed out the subjects that I clearly needed to master:<p>

_Curses_

_Upper-level hexes_

_Charms_

_Blocking spells_

_Nonverbal casting_

_Occlumency (Necessary for any encounters with enemies or those that would seek to obstruct my efforts)_

_Pettigrew family spells/preparation for ritual_

Alright, that's not too bad. I've already gotten fairly proficient at hexes and occlumency, now that my magical core is constantly throbbing, impatient for use. Those meditations have been extremely helpful.

Now for secondary objectives:

_Spell Crafting (I don't know how well I can do this, but any new spells will give me an offensive advantage against enemies due to their ignorance of how to counter them)_

_History (Especially pertaining to the defeats of the past Dark Lords – this could give me helpful insight)_

_Transfiguration (I don't have a very apt mind for coming up with creative uses for it in combat, but perhaps I'll be able to come up with something after studying it more. I do have that family artifact that boosts my abilities in this field, after all)_

_Exercising my four magical pillars_

_Regularly brewing the Draught of Dreamless Sleep (to do away with my deeply disturbing visions)_

Hmmmm…I can't think of anything else, for now. Moving on to those branches that I need to drop for now, in order to make room for the above objectives:

_Potions (sadly, since I'm fairly skilled at it)_

_Flying_

_Magical Runes (now that I'm functional enough with them to complete the ritual and do my meditations, I have little practical need for this)_

_Care for Magical Creatures_

Okay! I have a hell of a lot to cover, but…if I really put my nose to the grindstone, then I should at least be able to train myself into a genuine threat to the Dark Lord and his followers!

I quickly set about making a weekly schedule for myself, with the majority of my time going towards offensive spellwork.

* * *

><p>A few days later, I was studying at my desk (Tessa hadn't shown herself yet that day), when I caught a whiff of a strong aroma of incense from very close by. "Might I have a moment of your time, Mister Pettigrew?" an alluring female voice said.<p>

Happy to be the subject of such a pretty voice's interest, I quickly shot my head up. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed when I saw who had spoken. I jumped in shock, banging my knee hard against the bottom of the desk.

Bellatrix seemed wholly pleased at my reaction. "It would seem that my reputation precedes me," she said in a measured, melodic voice.

Of course, it wasn't her reputation or social status that made me spasm with surprise – it was more the fact that I wasn't at all prepared to contend with the ridiculously flaming hotness that was Bellatrix Black. I quickly pushed all thoughts of runes and spellcraft from my mind as I tried to prepare my wits for an encounter with her.

"Ah, um, excuse my outburst just now," I said, wincing at the pompous insincerity that seemed to dribble from my words. "To what do I owe the, er, the honor of your presence, um…Miss Black?" I tried, hoping I wasn't pushing my luck. I truly had no idea how to refer to an esteemed foe correctly by name.

Bellatrix inclined her head, seemingly amused by my discomfort. "You're an amusing little boy. It's a pity you've thrown your lot in with my degenerate plebian of a cousin, or there'd surely be more opportunities for us to interact civilly."

Apparently, she didn't intend for this to be a regular occurrence. I wonder what she's after? I quickly ran through what I knew about Bellatrix Black.

1. She's one sexy bitch.

2. I've never actually seen her up close before.

3. She murders Sirius in the future.

4. She looks something like a sanity-challenged Inferius in the future.

5. She's clearly a Death Eater in the future.

6. She's STILL one sexy bitch.

I quickly reached the conclusion that, whatever my plans end up being regarding the murder of the Dark Lord, it could only be beneficial to do my utmost to be on good terms with Bellatrix. Like they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Using her is, quite likely, my single best chance to eventually gain an audience with the mysterious Dark Lord. I haven't fully committed to an undercover plan yet, but, for now, I'll see what I can do to get on her good side.

"So - I have stunned you speechless?" Bellatrix asked in a less amused voice, her eyebrow raised. Oh, how I wanted to pepper that eyebrow with kisses…

I shook my head to focus better. "I apologize, Miss Black, I was just thinking for a moment. Did you have something you wanted?"

She sneered, ruining the elegance of her beautiful face. "Just like a Gryffindor to rush headlong towards the point without due regard for pleasantries." She sat down and folded her hands on the desk. "Perhaps what I want weighs heavily on how the pleasantries go."

She's obviously controlling the conversation at this point. I have no choice but to try and salvage it.

"I see. Well…have you, er…heard anything interesting about the, er…rumors swirling about?"

"Shut up. I'll ask the questions, if you don't mind," Bella said with a beautiful smile.

I kind of wanted to punch her, but I gently nodded in response, gesturing for her to go on. I don't really have the brains for people stuff, even when it has to do with furthering my goals. I definitely need to correct that soon.

Bella raised an arm and twirled her midnight hair as she looked at me thoughtfully. "I have to say, Pettigrew, that I was shocked by your comments in the school paper this week."

OHHH, that's what this is about. I should've guessed.

"I can't imagine why you would be," I said, finally feeling a little more grounded in the conversation. "My family is pure, after all, and I'm currently reaping the benefits of my family magic as we speak. There's no denying that witches and wizards from pure families have more avenues of magic open to them than muggleborns."

"Wow, that was an incredibly objective answer, especially coming from a Gryffindor delinquent like yourself. A little lacking in passion, of course, but at least your head's screwed on tight," Bellatrix observed out loud, quirking her lips. "Hmm…I'm wondering, at the moment, why you are so opposed to your Slytherin yearmates. Could you help me figure that one out? After all, you seem to be more than tolerant of myself, although I suppose there could be a fear factor there!" she said this with a wink that made my heart skip with attraction. "I mean, you don't seem to disagree with our general beliefs."

The true answer is, of course, that, while I think that purebloods have the ability to BE superior to muggleborns, very few are, and even if they all were, that would still be no reason to hate, enslave, and look down on muggleborns.

I don't think Bella would see it from my point of view, though, so I put up my best occlumency shields and lied, "Well, you know – there's something to be said for ancient House rivalries. I only ever marginally took part in them, as well."

"I suppose that could be true, but your 'friends,'" she said the word with a grimace, "seem to take it beyond acceptable limits and into a realm of pure hate."

I shrugged. "There's just a lot of history there. I can't really tell you anymore about our contentions with Snape without breaking their trust, sorry. But what's your question, exactly?"

Bellatrix tapped her pouty, heart-shaped lips in thought. "I don't REALLY have a question, I'm just curious – how have you been able to retain traditional pureblood reliefs while being in close contact with people who actively urinate on such values, like Potter and that stinking shit of a cousin I have?"

I folded my arms, adopting a serious look. "I don't think I'm as involved with them as you seem to think…"

"You seem pretty involved to me, Pettigrew. You were on the front page WITH them, with their stupid group. That means you stand for what they stand for, by association."

"You're completely right, Miss Black. I suppose I don't have much of a reason besides the fact that we're Housemates, roommates, and have always been together. It's just…comfortable next to them, I guess. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't restrict myself to only having friends who have the values as me."

"No, don't worry overmuch – I see your point. It would be difficult to get on in life without at least being civil with your roommates. And I know from personal experience how…" she made a disgusted expression "…outgoing…Sirius can be, so I don't necessarily blame you for making friends with those imbeciles, either, especially since you have been beside them all these years." She flitted her sparkling violet eyes back to me, causing my heart to lurch in raw delight once again. "I suppose my purpose here was, as I'm sure you've guessed, to determine how much of a depraved, Gryffindor barbarian you are, despite your insightful comments in the paper."

"Indeed?" I smiled. "I do hope I've proven myself to be civil and approachable."

"Not exactly," she said with a wicked sneer. "You seem like a bit of a perverted dunce, to be frank." My heart fell – did she somehow pick up on my strong physical attraction to her? "But I do think you're pathetically honest – you assuredly believe every word you've told me."

"Er, that's…good…"

She leaned forward and murmured, eyes dancing with delight, "If you want me to think better of you, then you may well try forgoing friends for a bit, if the only ones available to you are the sorry lot that you've been keeping."

"Well, I have been spending quite a bit of time by myself researching, this past term," I said, trying to keep some of the whinging out of my voice. I most likely failed, for she laughed derisively – a beautiful, tinkling, aristocratic laugh, but one that made me feel like shit, anyway.

"Aw, Pettigrew, you're so eager to please. You may well make someone a decent servant someday," she said with a pleasant face. She probably thought she was actually giving me a compliment with that, in her twisted brain. She stood up and stretched, during which time I snuck a quick look at her perky breasts – they're still lookin' GOOD. "Perhaps we'll spend more time together one day."

"If that's something that you'd deem beneficial, then it would be my pleasure anytime, Miss Black," I said, giving her a warm smile.

Bella gave me a look with a hint of a friendly smile (how sincere it was, I have no idea), and walked away without a word. Just as I was about to get back to studying my runes, I felt the presence of yet another person rushing towards me.

"Wormy, what the HELL are you on, talking to her?" Sirius growled, palms gripping the table.

I suppressed a sigh, sliding the book away. "Look, Padfoot, just because I talked to her doesn't mean I…"

"Oh, don't give me that crap, Peter!" Sirius said, somewhat hurtfully, I thought. "I know damn well you've jerked off about my cousin loads of times!"

I couldn't believe he just said that! Others in the vicinity turned to stare at me with blatant disgust – including Tessa, who was observing us behind a bookshelf. "You bastard!" I said in a hushed voice, partly due to library rules and partly due to shock about Sirius's complete betrayal of my trust.

Sirius ignored me. "And I don't care how solid your beliefs are, mate – when you're wanting to get your pecker inside a particular woman, you're going to start seeing things less clearly where that girl is concerned. I know this from experience, see? And that hellish bitch knows it, too, and she's the most manipulative person I've ever met."

"I-I know what this looks like, but I promise you…"

"She's not going to let the opportunity slip by to corrupt you, my brother," Sirius said, a glimmer of fellowship showing up in his voice again. "We've all been noticing you're…breaking away from the group, and…James…he reckons you're, you know…delving into the dark a little…"

"I haven't touched a single piece of dark magic, Sirius. I'll swear it, if that's what you want," I growled.

"And THEN you went and pulled something like you did on Tuesday, in the interview. I was wondering where the hell all that pureblooded bullshit you were spewing came from – now I fucking know!"

"MISTER BLACK!" Madam Quelicot crowed in disgust. "How…DARE you use that language in the library! You are hereby banned from this hall for the next two days!"

Sirius groaned, mussing his hair up in his egotistical way.

"And Mister Pettigrew – I'm ashamed of you encouraging such wanton behavior, as well! I've come to expect better of you." The librarian leered at me.

I groaned heavily, gathering up what research materials I could. As I followed Sirius out the door, I turned to give a farewell wave to my mysterious redheaded friend, but she had already disappeared. I hope she wasn't TOO disgusted with me…for some reason, I vaguely care what Tessa thinks about me more than I care what Sirius thinks…must be the fact that she's not a jerk. That always helps.

Sirius started lecturing me ferociously once we left the library. He reminded me that, while he was proud to see me talking with attractive women without stumbling over my tongue as much, he believed I would do well to select any other woman than to continue practicing with Bellatrix…for that matter, he wasn't entirely sure that Bellatrix didn't have a penis…and if she did have a penis, it wasn't even a proper penis, but rather a small, bent one that looked a bit like a candy cane, except covered in mucus caused by too much dark magic usage….after all, Bellatrix is not only evil, but as evil as one can get without spontaneously turning into a dementor…and, as everyone knows, dementors have the hardest time getting it up when they're on the spot, so clearly, that same logic applies to Bellatrix's darkness-infused zigzag-penis.

"Understand?!" Sirius said exasperatedly, fanning himself after he finished explaining.

"…Yes. In every way, shape, and form." I said. "I didn't betray you or the others, Sirius. Bellatrix…"

"DON'T! Don't say her name!" Sirius said, blanching. "How am I supposed to seduce Sarah Brockleburst if I have my demonic cousin's name in my head?!"

"I don't know, unfortunately, or else I'd help."

"You still can! You can be my pudgy, comic-relief wingman!" Sirius beamed.

"…I was joking. Anyway, this was the first time I've ever even spoken to her, mate, and she approached me, not the other way around. To be honest, I was just trying to placate her to avoid making a scene."

"I…don't know what placate means." Sirius said proudly as we reached the balcony in front of the common room. "However, I believe you. Though, you have to admit, a famous Gryffindor talking to a famous Slytherin in the middle of the library is surely gonna draw some eyes."

"R-really?" I said, aghast. "You don't mean…"

"That's right! You'll assuredly be in the school paper tomorrow!" Sirius batted me playfully on the shoulder. "I've taught you so well."

"…right. Anyway, I don't think Purebloods are superior, either. I was just trying to say things from an objective point of view based on my studies."

"Hey, books can lie, you know. You've gotta be careful you aren't reading just the stuff you want to hear," Sirius said with a suspicious frown.

I rolled my eyes. "You think I'd actually want Purebloods to be the more powerful? Literally EVERY instance of strife and violence in wizarding history has derived, in some way, from the Purebloods being complete arses. If anything, I'd want the Muggleborns to be more powerful, in a perfect world, because they're FAR less corrupt, or, seemingly, corruptible."

"Hmm…okay, you've convinced me. I didn't ever doubt you in the first place, my man," he grinned.

"It sure sounded like it," I frowned, looking away.

"Hey, listen, we've vowed to stick by each other in times tough and in times sexy both, right? I'll always have your back, and I trust you to always have mine."

"You can count on me," I said earnestly, pounding my fist together with his.

"Damn straight. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go get my rocks off on some poor, unsuspecting female student. Care to join me?" Sirius beamed. "It doesn't matter what you look like – if you're newsworthy, you're fuckworthy! Or at least that's what my mum always said. One of the few enjoyable conversations we've ever had, actually…" he looked out across the staircase chamber wistfully.

"Sorry mate, I'm going to keep studying – I still don't feel like I'm strong enough to be able to hold my own against these Death Eaters, should we run into one of them."

"Wormtail, my son," Sirius said, putting a hand on my shoulder in a tragic air, "…that's because you are a homosexual. I-I'm sorry to have to break it to you this way, but…" Tears bubbling from his eyes, Sirius padded away from the Common Room forlornly. "I wish you luck on your quest for sexual identity, my brother!" he said over his shoulder.

I stared after him, hoping he didn't actually believe I liked blokes.

Wait a minute…maybe I am gay? Maybe that's why my luck is so AWFUL with girls!

I considered that thought for all of five seconds before realizing that I've always had an intense sexual attraction to women, and only women. Therefore, I was relieved to conclude that it seemed very unlikely that I liked penis.

That crisis resolved, I settled in at a desk hidden away in the Common Room and continued my quest to understand the great enigma that is Charms.

* * *

><p>The first thing that happened the next morning, after I showered and stumbled down the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room in my casual clothes, was Lily Evans erupting from the towards me from the portrait. She looked pissed. And SO gorgeous in her crackling anger and sinfully form-fitting Muggle wear that I actually stopped breathing for a full minute. Holy MERLIN, she's perfect!<p>

"Peter Pettigrew!" she declared, stopping in front of me and thrusting the new edition of the Hogwarts Herald in my face.

I felt the world stop when I saw the headline: Pettigrew's scandalous, secret lust for Bellatrix Black revealed!

Reading quickly, I realized with horror and disgust that Rita actually went so far as to put into print that I "regularly masturbated about Bellatrix"…which wasn't even true anymore!

"What is the meaning of this?!" she shouted, giving me a look that said I was a vile, complete disappointment.

"Well…it seems as though we need to work on getting the school paper shut down," I said with a quirk of my lips.

"That is SO not the issue here," Lily huffed, her face flushed red from…from I have no idea what. "So it's true? You…mastur…er…um…th-thought dirty thoughts about BELLATRIX BLACK?!"

"You say it like it's abnormal," I said, cocking an eyebrow in an effort to keep looking vaguely like a cultured gentleman. I could feel my face flare up with shame and embarrassment, though.

"I don't care if every other dirty boy gets off on her prejudiced, murdering, carrion-feasting snout! YOU are above that, Peter! You and Remus are different! Or, at least, I thought you were." Ouch! That hurt. If there's someone's opinion I at all care about, it's Lily's.

"Yeah," Sirius said, spontaneously appearing at her side, "C'mon, Wormy! Everyone knows that to get in Lily's good graces you've got to live the life of a eunuch! How dare you throw away all your hard-earned progress?"

"And YOU!" Lily roared, whirling on Sirius. "How could you betray Peter like that? You just completely outed his very personal secrets in a public place! The LIBRARY! How…what…what kind of a horrible person does that to their friend?"

"Lily, Lily," he said, placing a placating hand on her shoulder, which she immediately smacked away. "People will think it's funny! Don't worry about it! I doubt most girls will take it seriously, and most guys will probably know where he's coming from and, you know, give him props! I've beaten off to her a few times, myself."

Lily rapidly shook her head in disgust, causing her breasts to jiggle tantalizingly. "Not only do I never again want to hear about your…private…activities, it's your bloody cousin, Sirius! What's WRONG with you? And most women will react like me to the article, I guarantee it! You've obviously tarnished his reputation and eligibility!"

"Hey, nothing's wrong with me – she's a very beautiful woman! It's only incest if it goes in…" he said, winking at me. Lily and both looked like we were about to puke. "And the public is fickle – Peter can always redeem his good name by doing something freakishly awesome!"

"To be honest," I spoke up, "I don't really care what the people think of me…besides my friends, of course," I said, smiling at Lily. "I just want to make sure I stay out of the way of Bellatrix and her fiancée." I shuddered at the thought. Cruciatus Curses were guaranteed, and worse dark spells were also probable, if they found me.

Lily winced. "Oh, I forgot she's engaged. That poor guy."

"No, Lily, no. What he is, you see, is a lucky son of a bitch. He gets to cuddle with Bellatrix naked…EVERY night! Damn, I miss those innocent days of my childhood," Sirius said, looking wistfully across the room.

"You have some issues, Sirius. Seek professional help," Lily instructed, before turning back to me. "If you want, I'll make an excuse in classes for you for a couple days so you can lay low for a bit. I'll take notes for you and deliver your homework to the professors."

"Would you really?" I almost screamed in delight. "That would be the most amazing thing ever! Thank you SO much, Lily," I said, stopping myself from hugging her voluptuous body. "And, er, just so you know, I haven't, um…been, er…" I must have been blushing a deep crimson by this point, "pleasuring myself for quite a while…I actually haven't done so once since the brewing competition, you remember that? I'm turning over a new leaf!"

Lily smiled warmly, patting my shoulder. "Very good, Peter, I'm proud of you." I blushed from feeling the heat of her breath on my face, she was so close. "Studies show that m-m-m…you-know-what makes men regard women purely as sex objects, as a matter of fact. So hopefully this will open your mind quite a bit to girls, in general! Or else you'll end up like Sirius, whose brain rotted long ago." she beamed, while Sirius nodded proudly and ran a hand through his silky hair. I have no idea just what Lily wanted me to say to that, but at least I'd managed to get back into her good graces.

Thus, I said farewell to them and proceeded to get back into my study cycle.

* * *

><p>The weeks pressed on, and I must have seemed to the rest of Gryffindor to have turned into a miserly recluse, as I forced myself to repeatedly ignore the Marauders' jovial invitations to party, prank, and gallivant around, to avoid all Quidditch and Hogsmeade visits, to skip class whenever possible, and to generally avoid conversation with anyone.<p>

Though my tongue grew leaden and heavy from lack of use, my mind grew exponentially sharper and sharper as I fed my blistering addiction of devouring whatever tidbits of magical knowledge I could get my hands on. I began to have a second-sight while reading, somehow, in that I was actually able to absorb knowledge from latter parts of a book while reading a separate section. The books and I slowly became one, which was a thrilling, intoxicating feeling.

Sure, I was lonely, scared, bitter, and freakishly desperate for a woman's touch…but I took those strong, negative urges and directed them all towards my singular goal: becoming the most powerful wizard Hogwarts had seen since Voldemort. All I could do was keep going, keep learning, keep destroying the back of Hagrid's hut (Dumbledore regularly had to come out and restructure it, with stronger wards each time. The Headmaster and I would always exchange knowing looks – I was aware that he was keeping tabs on my magical strength. Hagrid just found the whole thing was hilarious.)…I only let myself ruminate on other topics if I could then channel those desires to feed my insatiable hunger.

That was all. My life had become an unquenchable carousel of deranged magical exploration. I never seemed to have enough time in a day to conquer all the texts that I wanted.

* * *

><p>In time, I'd become quite competent with a multitude of spells, my favorite being the Glacius Charm, an unbelievably destructive spell rending waves of sharp, pointed ice over a large area. I'd experimented with <em>Verdimillious<em>, a green lightning hex I'd seen myself use in my vision of the future, and found that I enjoyed employing it, as well. The Arrow-Shooting Charm was nice, as well, to my arsenal up with some solid projectiles.

I hadn't had much of a chance to master the Ear-Shriveling Curse (although it worked on Snape and his goons when they seeked me out after DADA one week), but I found that it was good for shaking the enemy's concentration. Even better at slipping a foe up was the Finger-Removing jinx, if you could land a hit, which was a good way to "permanently disarm" a foe, as well as the Jelly-Brain Jinx, which makes a target too stupid to process what's going on at all, which is always rewarding in a firefight. I'm just happy Snape keeps coming back for more; he makes a great guinea pig. The resulting detentions and loss of hundreds of House points aren't…the best…but I don't mind them too much!

Other offensive spells that I've successfully cast, but have some trouble using, are the _Duro_ (which turns enemies into stone), _Expulso_ (which causes a detonating pulse of enormous power) _Confringo _(which creates a fiery explosion), the Shield-Penetrating Hex, and the combo of _Aqua Eructo_ with _Ebublio_, which makes the foe explode into bubbles when both spells land.

I know plenty more, of course, but, overall, I'd say I'm about as capable as a NEWT student, which is a pretty fulfilling statement. I'm completely exhausted in mind, emotion, and body, but I'm not finished yet. I still have the ritual to perform in order to access the two Pettigrew family spells. Plus, I could hardly rest easy for long with those freakish visions flashing in my eyes all the time.

It was thusly that I decided to fully direct my attention to gathering the necessary ingredients for the ritual. I had sent my personal House Elf, Marlee, on an international mission to gather various exotic materials, but progress was slow. I decided to pen a letter to my father, detailing my purposes, all the information I'd gathered, and the various items I still needed to collect.

* * *

><p>I realized one day, with a groan, that I would actually need an assistant to complete the family ritual. After I'd gathered everything I needed to make the ritual success, I decided to go and find someone whom I could persuade to help me out.<p>

My main possibilities were Tessa and Remus (the rather dark nature of the ritual would have scared off any of my other acquaintences) – however, I felt I could trust Remus just a bit more than her, so I started with him, first.

I was soon able to corner him a private hallway in Gryffindor Tower. I nonverbally cast a _Muffliato_ and began explaining everything to him.

"I have to make up for so much time, Remus…this is the only way I'll even have a chance to protect myself and others in these dark times," I said as I finished my lead-in.

"So, this ritual isn't, er, Dark, is it?" Remus asked, acting a little uncomfortable.

"No, it's not Dark, but that doesn't mean it'll be, er…pleasant," I said. "It's basically a ritual to connect myself with the line of magical energy set aside for myself as a member of the Pettigrew family. Only then can I use our family curses."

"Which will help you…save people, in the future?"

"That's right."

Remus was silent for a moment, before asking, "What do you mean, it won't be pleasant?"

"Well, the worst of it will be the whipping."

"Whipping?!" Remus asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, you'll have to flay my back with a bladed flogging whip at a precise meter while I…"

Remus lost it. "NO way! I completely refuse! There's no way I can do that to a friend!"

"Remus, calm down," I said, fixing him with an iron stare. "I absolutely need this for my goals. I have no choice but to go through with this."

"There's ALWAYS a choice, mate! You're plenty powerful already! Look at how well you've done in Defense this month!"

"It's not enough. Sure, I can take down almost anyone in our year, but I'm still green compared to the Death Eaters. And, yes, I DO have a choice…but the outcome of the alternative isn't something I want to face," I said, suppressing a shudder. The hauntingly gory visions of my dreams burst forth in my mind.

"B-b-but you can just learn other spells! Keep on studying! There are plenty of spells out there at your disposal."

"I plan to, Remus, but these family spells would give me an advantage I can't pass up. The enemy will be wholly unfamiliar with them, which will give me a distinct edge in battle."

"That makes sense, but…Peter, how can you expect me to flay you alive?"

"Don't see me as Peter. See me as an enemy – as Snivellus, as a blood supremacist…whatever it takes."

"Peter…what's happened to you?" Remus said, looking at me with an expression of serious concern.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem so…er…cold and clinical now. You used to be really, you know, friendly and, er, one of the most compassionate people I've met, and now you've just kind of…collapsed into yourself! I'm worried about you…" he said, shifting his eyes around. He looked a little scared.

"I don't remember being like that," I said, my brow furrowing. All I can remember ever being was bitter and pathetic. "But I am honored that you were able to detect any good from the way I was before."

"You were FINE the way you were before, mate. And now you're basically throwing away all your friendships, now, and for what? Power?"

"Remus, I don't have any time to waste on keeping those relationships going anymore…"

"How can you even SAY that?" he said, stepping back in shock. "Has your heart disappeared completely?"

"I say it because it's the truth," I said coldly, "And we're ALL going to die if someone doesn't face the stark reality that we are in no way ready to defend ourselves from an army of professional Dark wizards. Dumbledore can't protect all of us. We can't take any chances."

Remus sighed, shaking his head. "You're like a completely different person…no, you ARE a completely different person."

I looked at him with a sad smile. "Be that as it may…I still consider you my most trusted friend, Remus. I know I haven't been a good friend myself, but…I'm not asking you to do this for me because you're useful to me; I'm asking you because I trust you implicitly. You're the only person I can go to for this."

Remus looked to the heavens, murmuring, "Merlin." He ruffled his hair and looked back to me. "If you're…absolutely sure you want this…"

"Without a shadow of a doubt."

He groaned. "You're bloody scary, you know that?"

I smirked. "Says the werewolf."

Remus gave a hollow laugh. "Touché. Okay, I'll…I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I'll do it. But you owe me! You owe me more than words can possibly express."

"Thanks, mate," I said, relieved that I was able to convince him. "And I know. I'll do any favor you deem appropriate in return. But, for now, I've copied down the instructions for the ritual here, so please review them tonight." I handed the parchment to him. "Be ready to go tomorrow evening."

"Where are we going to do it?" he said, wincing as he glanced at the instructions.

"I'm going to prepare one of those unused classrooms on the seventh floor, warding it appropriately. And, Remus…you can't tell ANYONE about this, alright?"

He nodded with a grimace. "Fair enough. Merlin…I'm going to need a stiff drink after we're through."

"I just might join you for one," I said, and we smiled at each other for a bit. "Well, I'll see you then."

"Yeah, bye," he said awkwardly, walking towards the dorms.

Now that this course of action is decided, I can feel the magic in the air charging itself in anticipation.

Soon, very soon, I'll be able to tap into my rightful magic.

Things are getting more and more promising!

* * *

><p>"Holy hell! You're built like a beater now!" was the first thing Remus said when he arrived at the site of the ritual the next day and saw me standing there shirtless. Naturally, being a ridiculously caring human being, his first thoughts were concern about me, not about the excessive preparation of the pagan atmosphere I'd been working on creating all day.<p>

"Too kind of you to notice," I said dryly, walking up to the closed door and layering it with wards and glyphs to prevent visual or audial detection from outside. I was truthfully a little nervous – what if my ancestors didn't accept me, for whatever reason? This ritual's intent was to beseech them for their aid, after all. What if I'm evaluated and found wanting?

Regardless, I have to at least try. And being filled with doubt won't convince my ancestors, either, so I better chase such thoughts from my mind.

"So, you've prepared everything?" Remus asked, casting his eyes around at my handiwork.

"Er, it's as close to accurate as I can manage. I wasn't able to procure any Sicilian centaur pelts on such short notice, but I was able to use my father's connections to obtain a Ragasean centaur pelt instead, which is supposed to be an extremely similar strain of the species."

Remus stared at me. "I'm sorry? You've funded the poaching of sentient, non-human magical beings?" Clearly, he took great offense to the idea, not that I could blame him, seeing as how he's a sentient non-human magical being himself.

I shifted my eyes guiltily. "What else was I supposed to do? It's necessary to have a centaur pelt to conduct the residual energies needed to harmonize with the deceased."

"Peter…those people are pure evil," he snarled.

"The centaur was already dead! It's not like me not taking it was going to bring her back to life!"

Remus flinched. "Money will just drive them to poach more. You actually know it was a she? How can you even stomach doing something like that?"

"Remus."

"WHAT?!"

"I never said I bought the pelt."

"Y-you stole it, then?" Remus said, looking a little relieved.

"Not personally, no. But yes, using my family's connections, we obtained the pelt without funding them in any way," I lied. I'd actually had the group murdered discretely after I bought from them, but Remus didn't need to know about that. "Now, can we PLEASE get on with this?"

Remus sighed and nodded woodenly.

I handed him the Goutic ritual whip he'd be using on me, which I'd manufactured myself in the Shrieking Shack. The ceremonial torture tool consisted of a pole carved from a magically resonant savannah holly tree, attached with several thick leather cords, each fastened with dangling curved hooks and blades made from wendigo blood glass. I had shivered upon seeing the finished product for the first time, both from sensing its magical potency and from its menacing appearance. It was a weapon that, by its very existence, promised complete agony.

"The two parts I'll need your assistance with are the snakeskin-wrapping and the whipping. I've got everything else well in hand," I assured him.

"Fair enough," he said, stowing the Goutic whip under his arm as he stooped to pick up the carnal viper skin I'd harvested. "But I'm sending for the nurse immediately after we're done, no matter what. Got it?"

I considered a moment whether Pomfrey or St. Mungo's would be better, but I concluded that Hogwarts would be safer due to Dumbledore's impenetrable protective barriers around the school. I wasn't afraid to go abroad ordinarily, but I didn't fancy being vulnerable and injured in a hospital, wide open to enemy attack.

"I agree. That would be much appreciated," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder in thanks.

"Before we start…are you …absolutely sure that you want to go through with this?" Remus tried one last time to dissuade me.

I nodded as I looked around, scanning to make sure all 47 amber candles were lit and arranged properly around the massive floor rune. "My resolve is unshakeable, Remus. You had best muster yourself up for this – if you don't conduct your part in the ceremony properly, it'll all be for naught."

"I wouldn't be here if you couldn't count on me," Remus assured me.

"Thanks once again, Remus," I said sincerely. "Okay…" I turned away from him and got on my knees in the sixth dietrich of the circular rune. "Let's begin."

"_Dolor midimi, obsecro surgere_." I incanted, and the warm red glow of the classroom transfigured into an unearthly dark green, most light having been chased from the room. I was pleased – we had made contact.

"_Lini mea mundum corpus cum fenestras._" I spoke that incantation three times. I took the wooden tub of Gotoan Elixir, an ancient potion that was to be applied to the body to remove incumberances between the soul and the energies of the dead, and carefully drenched my face and chest with its slimy consistency.

"_Pendent in putrescet Tentatoris_," I said, and the green light began steadily pulsing in anticipation as I walked to the fourth dietrich of the rune and spread my arms out, away from me. I sensed Remus's anxiety as he approached, fumbling in the dark to tie the snakeskin around my forearms. As he did so, I directed all my intent towards direct communion with the energies I'd summoned.

As he stepped away, I suddenly felt something invisible grasp both my arms – like, an actual, physical hold. If it wasn't for the strong presence I'd sensed from the action, I would ordinarily have imagined James had grabbed them as a prank while under the invisibility cloak. This was a surprise, but I pushed away my doubt and waited patiently for something else to happen.

After about twenty seconds, I felt the invisible grip slip away, so I let my arms dangle back to the ground, pausing before approaching the final dietrich – the one covered by the centaur's pelt. Very soon, I'd be experiencing more excruciating pain than any of my father's Cruciatas curses ever were. I was on the cusp, now – here is where I'd be most likely to screw everything up.

First, here was the most difficult incantation to memorize: "_Ubi amittere ibi est salus mea familia ad honorem et gloriam et imperium_." My correct delivery was affirmed by the green lighting in the room immediately shifting into a murky brown. I could sense an incredible amount of condensed, living magical particles in the air now.

I grabbed the goblet of the Warlock's Draught of Wrath off the wicker altar and downed the vile drink before I could think about just how much raw eyeball fluid I was consuming. This potion was used in nearly all rituals involving the sacrifice of health for imbuement with energies.

The skin on my back prickled with dread as I felt Remus approach, the whip's shards of dangling blood glass clinking together.

I placed a hand on each side of the wicker altar, relaxing my coiled muscles and standing as straight as possible.

After five seconds, I beseeched the energies: "_Accipere_."

I'd barely pulled my tongue back to safety behind my teeth when Remus struck.

FUCK. I could feel the skin and inner tissue peel right off with each of those fucking hooks! The severing of my nerves and flesh pumped through my body.

"_Accipere_." I said again, however, keeping track of the metered beat the ritual called for. Once again, the whip lashed across the full length of my back, ripping my new muscles clean open. I felt the juices of my blood gush out with rapidly alternating flashes of cold and heat.

"_Accipere_." Remus struck again, like clockwork. I could tell he was aiming to hit as much unscathed skin as he could, to avoid digging deeper into the existing gashes. My mind started getting fuzzy from the pain, which scared me – I couldn't lose track of the rhythm! Not when I'd gotten this far! I'd die first!

I chomped down on my cheek, drawing blood, to keep me alert.

"_Accipere_." When the ripping hooks gashed through my raw muscle tendons this time, I couldn't help but make an extremely pathetic-sounding whimper. I was aware that tears and snot were streaming from my face. The magics were present – I could feel them taut, ready to pounce on me – but what the fuck were they waiting for? Are they cruel enough to want me to sacrifice yet more for them?

"_ACCIPERE!_" I roared at them in sudden, searing fury. The lash almost made lose my hold on the altar, and I felt the squirting squelch of severed organs this time. My bladder abruptly gave out from the pain, piss flooding my pants. I couldn't last much longer – my mind was starting to flash off and on.

"_Accipere!_" I moaned. Suddenly, the room flooded with brilliant violet light, in time with Remus's latest lash. The light this time came from a nebulous cloud of visible energy filling the room, not from the shifting colors of the ritual candles.

The ritual's instructions offered no instructions past that point, so I just stood still, my shaking, sweaty hands splattered against the altar. When I again risked looking into the cloud of energy, I felt a grotesque rush of impact in my soul and spirit pillars (I'd grown sensitive to them through my meditations). My adrenalin hit an all-time high as I felt a veritable assault of energy rape my face and chest with its potency.

My hearing completely stopped working and I couldn't see anything but the blinding violet light, but I felt myself lift off the ground and begin being thrust about. Was I perhaps getting pulled into the cloud?

Suddenly, in my head, I heard a voice that sounded like the murderous crush of a tsunami. "We will risk bequeathing our gifts to you, for we have sensed the strength of your convictions. Do not disgrace the family." Was this voice the cumulative collective of all deceased Pettigrews?

The blast I now felt was nothing compared to the previous assault. I could feel my body contort and twist in midair, my shed blood and urine drenching itself all over me.

Then I lost consciousness entirely.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And that's what I call a fourth chapter!

Please. For the love of Merlin and all his jolly, bearded apprentices, each of which has a different steed taken from the zodiac, though one has a crocodile instead of a dragon…review! Or else I'll sic them all on you and they'll force you, at wandtip, to sing the entirety of the song "Modern Major General." Or the Pokemon theme song. Whichever you know better.

Fifth one on its way! Check back soon! :)


	5. It's Lonely at the Pinnacle

**A/N:** This whole story or whatnot is J.K. Rowling's business. I'm just here to corrupt it and make it special. And the image is by ~tina-lynn from DeviantArt.

**Rise of the Fourth Marauder**

**Chapter Five – It's Lonely at the Pinnacle**

I slowly became aware again of the passage of time, and began an uphill battle towards waking up. Doing so involved brushing aside an enormous amount of fundamental exhaustion. I got the feeling that the individual entity known as "Peter Pettigrew" had been very nearly wiped out as a result of everything that had gone on during the ritual.

Out of sheer willpower, I cracked open my aching eyes to the dampened light of what I assumed was the Hogwarts hospital wing. After I'd had a tiny moment to adjust them, I was assaulted by a face full of Remus. Er…that sounded wrong…what I meant was, an extremely relieved-looking Remus was in my face.

"Peter! You're alright!" he beamed, giving me a tight hug, causing me to hiss in response from the pain in my back. Things still felt VERY liquid back there.

"Stay away! Don't touch him!" I recognized another voice, one laced with snobbishness and false concern. That would be my darling mother, Caspia Pettigrew. Lovely. Just who I wanted to see after getting my guts ripped open.

I cleared my throat and tried to sit up, but a rush of panic stopped me when I realized things were sliding around inside my back – laying back down was clearly the safer course of action at the moment. Nevertheless, I said, with a gravelly voice. "A pleasure to see you, Remus, Mum."

"We're here, too, Peter!" A voice I knew far less well said in a warm, but worried tone. I strained my neck up a bit to see who it was: Remus's beautiful and quite caring muggleborn mother, Daedin. Her austere husband was also there, with his famously dapper moustache, though looking more unnerved than I'd ever seen him before. "I'm so happy to see you doing better," she said.

"I am quite sure that my son does not care one whit about your presence, Daedin," my mother said in a put-upon, yet still civil, tone.

I really didn't have the energy to deal with this right now. And I didn't know exactly what was going on, or what had been said thus far.

Fortunately, Mum's next few sentences shed some light on the turn things had taken. "Not after what your boy did to him. I know you and I have been friendly in the past, for the sake of our boys, but I do think it's time we put a stop to things, in light of this great tragedy." She gave an admirable performance of a concerned mother while she said this. I knew better, however – my family's house elves were the people who truly raised me at home, my family could never be bothered. They legitimately did not care about me except what I might bring to their political strategies…which, up to this point, wasn't much. My mother's presence here alone proved that she was here to further her political agenda.

Regardless, it seemed that, according to the story that my mother was manipulating to suit her needs, Remus was the instigator and cause of my injury. I wonder if he claimed he had a werewolf attack or something. At any rate, if I wanted to stop my parents from deluging the Lupins with a manufactured shit storm, I'd have to do some serious maneuvering of my own. While dying on a hospital bed.

"Oh Caspia, I'm so sorry to have allowed this to happen to you and your son," Daedin said. "If you think it's the only way, then we'll take Lupin out of school."

"I do think he deserves more than mere expulsion at this point," Mum said in an injured tone. "Wouldn't you agree, son?"

Everyone's eyes shifted to me and I tried to quickly think of a way to turn things around. I couldn't exactly mention the mostly-illegal ritual in front of everyone, but I certainly couldn't let Remus take the fall for me like this.

"No, I don't," I said. Remus gave me a warm smile, beginning to rub my shoulder gently. "Remus wasn't at fault…"

My mother gently laid a lotion-covered hand over my lips, ceasing my speech. "I'm certain Peter's under the influence of some powerful elixirs still, and isn't entirely in his right mind."

Daedin nodded. "Peter, you're being far more kind and generous than I could even imagine most Hufflepuffs being, were they in this situation."

I chuckled. That would be an insult were it not coming from a Hufflepuff. Both of Lupin's parents were from the badger house, however. Three guesses where MY parents are from…

"Peter is far too sweet for something like this to happen to," my mother said, crouching over me protectively. "When he's up against a wall, sometimes he can't see the right course of action to take." She turned to me and gave me a leer of warning. "So won't you let Mummy handle this, Sweetie?"

I leaned away from her, suggesting, "Why don't I speak with each party individually, so I can understand exactly what's going on. I AM the victim, after all. Afterwards, we can reconvene, and I'll announce my stance on what to do."

"A very reasonable proposal," Lupin, Sr. said, speaking up for the first time since I awoke.

Predictably, Mum didn't agree. "Peter, you have to listen to Mummy, alright? She knows what she's doing. You just lay back and recover. That's what's best for you."

I answered the disdainful look she gave me with a mild Legilimency strike, for silent communication. _Mum, I have several ongoing plans right now, some of them involving Lupin._ My mother straightened up immediately when she realized I was sending speech into her mind. I'd finally captured her full attention…probably for the first time in my entire life. _I wish to discuss this with you in private so we can deal with the situation in a manner mutually beneficial to you and I. Is that understood?_ She blushed with faint anger before nodding her assent.

"Er…what's with the staring match?" Remus asked, still seated at my side.

"I…suppose I'll relent to my son's wishes on how to conduct things," Mum said, sounding as though doing so was completely what she wanted and that the thought of doing something different would be sheer madness.

"Great. Now, first, I wish to speak with Remus. Alone, if you'd please."

"Certainly," the bitch said, walking away with a regal air completely inappropriate for her social station. Such open disdain for those around them must always be the worldview of a born Parkinson.

"Thank you, Peter," Daedin said with a brilliant smile. "We appreciate you for taking such good care of our Remus all these years!"

"I can take care of myself, Mum," Remus informed her.

After the three adults had left our vicinity, I quickly cast a _Muffliato_.

"What did you just cast? You did it earlier, as well."

"A _Muffliato_."

"What on earth…?"

"I overheard Snape using it once whilst studying in the library…which is ironic, since the spell, once cast, prevents others from listening in. Pretty much the quintessential Slytherin spell, wouldn't you say?"

Remus shook his head with a tired smile. "The old Peter would have sooner sat on a Basilisk's tongue than admit to using a spell best suited to Slytherins."

I rolled my eyes. "The old Peter's away on holiday right now. And he's going to stay that way until the Dark Lord meets his end."

"You're…awfully focused on defeating this Dark Lord these days, aren't you?" Remus said, looking at me like one would a puzzle.

"No, really?" I mocked him. "Regardless, we can discuss this later – for now, we need to figure out what to do with this mess we've found ourselves in."

Remus's face softened. "What are you talking about? I'm getting expelled."

"Come off it."

He sighed. "I knew you were going to be difficult about this."

"Difficult? I'm being logical. There's NO way I'm letting you take heat for this."

"Peter – I'm a PREFECT. And I whipped all the skin and muscle FROM your FUCKING back. Couple that with the damage I dealt to several of your internal organs and…"

"Which organs?" I asked, curious. "Are they back now?"

"Your spleen and liver were completely decimated, and, yes, you should make a full recovery, thank Merlin," Remus said with concern. He wiped the sweat from my forehead affectionately. "I know you like to have it out with your mum, but I think she's in the right here."

"YOU'RE an idiot," I informed him. "I practically had to drag you to participate in the ceremony, kicking and screaming."

Remus shook his head. "That doesn't change the fact that I allowed myself to go through with it, though. I didn't…realize what I was even doing," he said, his face contorting with grief that was painful to behold.

Damn you, Moony. Now you're going to make me cry.

"You asshole," I said, face contorting as well.

Remus straightened up and tried to steel his nerves, blatantly embarrassed. "I'm, um…er…do you…know whether the ritual worked?"

"I haven't had the chance to try anything yet, have I?" I said. "But don't change the subject, mate. If you hadn't done that horrible ritual, I would've found someone else to do it. And no one else would have been better at doing it than you."

"But I still…"

"AND there's no point in checking yourself out of school NOW, since ritual's already done. I'll never ask you to do something like that, ever again. So it would be completely pointless to leave, except to beat yourself up out of a misplaced sense of responsibility. Or is it due to shame?"

Remus closed his eyes and stood still for a moment. "I…can see where you're coming from."

"Thank Merlin."

"But I never should have done what I did."

"Perhaps, but who's to say, really? I think that was an inevitable event, that ritual. Some of fate we can alter, Remus, but much is set in stone. I have a feeling that this was one of those pre-dictated events."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Eh, I had a philosophical discussion with the Headmaster once about such things," I said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Anyway, let yourself off the hook just this time. For my sake, if you must. Please. You're my best friend, mate."

"If I'M your best friend, then I'd sure hate to see the state of the rest of them," he said with a gentle smirk.

"Now, go on, get out of here," I said, dissolving the _Muffliato_. "Let my mum know that I'd like to speak with her. I'll figure out something."

"Don't stress yourself too much, mate. For your health, if anything," he instructed me.

"Oh, I've got this under control," I assured him. Wait, I do? When did that happen? I tried to remember coming up with a plan, but no such plan was forthcoming. Oh well. I'll figure out something.

"If you say so, mister mastermind," Remus said with a slightly sarcastic edge, walking off towards my mother, who was sitting as far apart from the Lupins as possible.

I forced my mind into plotting mode. If I can just convince my mother to follow my lead, as though I have some overarching plan that requires Lupin's presence here, then that would be a great start. I can also attempt the tactic of reminding her that werewolves are dark, like she wants me to be, and that they can make outstanding allies in wartime scenarios. I could also lie and hint that I'm considering joining the Dark Lord's forces, like she doubtless desires for me to do. Lastly, I could remind her that the Lupins have very little power, money, or status to their name, anyway, and a publicity stunt against them could easily backfire and make us look like bullies or, worse, pathetic, for making such a big scandal out of such a small enemy.

Cool. I'm comfortable with those weapons of logic. I think this should go well.

Dear old mum glided up to me, her professionally styled auburn hair flowing elegantly, and adopted a seat next to my bed. I could see someone finding my mother quite pretty, but, as she was my mother and all, I couldn't really admire her beauty like I enjoyed doing with most other women. She was such a non-presence in my life, however, that I barely saw her as family, anyway. My root distaste for her was the fact that she was so constantly false and conniving. I truly hoped I wasn't turning into someone like her.

I raised my wand to cast the _Muffliato_ charm, but my mother gasped, saying, "Wait!" Apparently she thought I was going to attack her or something…but why on earth was she acting like she was…afraid?

"Relax, Mum, I'm casting a privacy charm," I said, doing so. She blushed and straightened up, grasping for her dignity.

"Ahh, so that's why there was that weird static going on when you were speaking to the half-breed."

I didn't bother correcting her hate speech, as I wanted to get her on my side. "Yes."

"A very clever charm," she said approvingly. "I may just have to start employing it, myself. Now then, I was very surprised to feel you in my mind – wait, there's no way those dirty miscreants back there can overhear us, is there?"

"Correct, we can speak with utmost privacy."

She didn't attempt to hide her glee. "What a relief! Putting on appearances for so long is exhausting!" she whined. "Ah, excuse me for getting sidetracked. I believe I was about to touch on the subject of your newfound Legilimency."

"What about it?"

"So you've mastered it already?" she said, with awe and pride in her eyes that was honestly very flattering to see, despite it coming from such a disreputable source.

"I wouldn't use the phrase _mastered_, exactly, but I am well on my way to doing so, yes," I said, steepling my fingers together.

She nodded excitedly. "I've always wanted to be able to do that." She looked askance, clearing her throat. "Also, while you were in my mind, I think I felt your magical presence…or, at least, part of it."

"Er…"

"Don't interrupt," she scolded. "You're very powerful now, aren't you? I could feel a potent might emitting from your incision into my mind…much more so than your father and others that have done that to me before."

"Really? Interesting." I said. "Perhaps I just don't know how to mask myself very well, yet."

"Don't be so modest," she said, swatting me on the shoulder. "You're making me very proud, Peter. I mean, look at you!" She gestured to my bedridden body.

"Er…my being confined to a hospital cot makes you proud?"

"Well, clearly your intelligence needs a bit more adjustment," she said with a sneer. "I obviously implied that your body is radically toned and developed now. I can scarcely recognize you. You've done very well for your family."

Yes, Mum, because all of this was strictly for my family.

"You are too kind, Mother."

She shook her hair loose, stroking it. "Now then, I believe you wished to discuss the fate of your little werewolf friend."

"How long have you known he was a werewolf?"

"Why, just today, as a matter of fact. I will assume, for your sake, that you only found out after this attack, for I'd hate to think that you'd knowingly invite such an abomination into our home."

"You may assume whatever you'd like. Now then, I have made strategic alliances with several students in Hogwarts, in order to further my future plans."

"Oh? And those plans are?"

"Well, first and foremost, I wish to gain as much glory and power as possible, both for myself, and for our ancient family," I smirked. "I recently got in contact with our ancestors and they told me I ought to further the family's position, in fact."

"Ah, I see," she said, nodding. She seemed to be rising to the bait, thus far. "Then…you've succeeded in the family ritual in that grimoire I sent you?"

"I have, indeed."

"Oh, marvelous! I wonder what your father will say!" she beamed. "Now then, have you given any further thought to your position in the current, er…ongoing sociopolitical dispute?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I could see myself landing on either side." She frowned when I said this. "I believe the best strategy is to play both sides against the middle, anyway."

"How do you mean?"

"I am endeavoring to develop contacts and allies on BOTH sides of the spectrum. That way, when the proverbial excrement hits the Blasting Curse, I'll be sure to be in a position where I can benefit from the situation. That's what I'll be doing, regardless of what my personal feelings are on the debate."

"W-wow," my mom said, looking at me with a sense of awe once again.

"Er…what is it?"

"It's like your brain's been replaced with that of someone intelligent. No offense intended, of course."

I mentally rolled my eyes. "If you say so, Mother."

"I do. You're…truly my son still, aren't you? Did the ritual fundamentally change you or something?"

"Thank you for your concern, but I assure you I am very much myself. Ask Remus if you wish. I've become a much more serious scholar this year, long before the ritual."

"Oh, I wasn't being serious," she said, waving off my assurances. "I can still sense it's you. Mother's intuition or some such nonsense. So then – where does Remus fit into your political scheme?"

"Remus is one of my most useful pawns," I explained. "You see, his allegiance, being a Gryffindor, is with the liberals, who want freedom and equal respect for all life." I allowed my face to morph into a sneer, which my mother mirrored. "On the other hand, he's a dark creature, and so will be able to easily find a place in the Dark Lord's so-called Death Eaters, if he is so moved. I can place him in either group quite effectively, as I am an expert at manipulating him. He's very malleable AND a fearsome duelist."

"I see. How interesting," she said, twirling her hair as she considered. "And I suppose you would essentially lose him as a pawn if we blackballed him and his family from the Wizarding World."

"I would lose all influence with him, yes."

She sighed. "You're a piece of work, son. I never thought you'd logically trap me like this."

Hot sex. I did it!

"I apologize if I offended you by doing so," I said, inclining my head.

She laughed derisively, shaking her head. "Of course not. It has been thrilling to discourse with you like this." She laid her hand on mine. "You're becoming the son I always wished you were."

"Thank you," I said.

In the end, we reconvened and decided, much to the Lupins' visible relief (even Remus's, though he attempted to conceal his reaction) that we would, in fact take no action against any members of the family as a direct result of his alleged attack.

Once everyone finally left, I collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

* * *

><p>By the time I'd finally grown a brand new patch of skin tissue, it was already time for the winter holiday. When I arrived back at the common room, lots of Gryffindors were lined up before the fireplace, waiting patiently for their turn to floo out.<p>

I muttered and grumbled my way upstairs, discovering when I'd arrived that someone had transfigured everything in my trunk into various sex toys.

"Nicely done, fellas. Nicely done," I said, concentrating deeply and spending the next few minutes reverting everything back to normal. I shrunk down the rest of my plain belongings and looked around the empty room somberly. The others had clearly already left…things had assuredly changed between us. My heart panged when I remembered how we were an indivisible item of four for so long – none of us would have left unless the others will also ready.

I know everything falling apart is my fault, but I just feel so locked in to my current behavior. I have NO chance of slaying Voldemort unless I attain some ridiculous amount of power. Yes…there is nothing for it. It looks like, in order to save my friends' lives, I need to retreat from those friendships.

Sighing heavily, I levitated my trunk and guided it back out to the common room. I looked around at the shadowy places of the room, and, to my delight, spotted Tessa crouching behind her trunk in the corner, waiting for everyone else to leave.

Muttering well-wished and farewells to the other Gryffindors as I passed them, I waded my way through the crowd to greet my unhinged friend.

"Happy holidays, Miss Prewitt."

"Glad to see you back on your feet, Mister Pettigrew. Would you care to join me behind my trunk? It's a very nice corner, and we're currently serving refreshments!" she said, holding up a butterbeer to demonstrate.

"Well, tell you what. I've been thinking long and hard about this for a good two seconds…" I began.

"Uh-huh? Uh-huh?" Tessa asked excitedly.

"And I had this crazy idea that, like, I could put my trunk next to yours, to make our barricade against the crowdedness of society even bigger!"

"That's exactly the kind of proactive, genius thinking that gets you places in life, you know what I mean?"

"I do, in fact," I said, setting the trunk next to hers and enlarging it slightly to match the height. "There. Now we're safe."

Tessa grinned wickedly. "I don't think I'd necessarily use the word 'safe' when you're trapped alone in a small space with ME, of all people."

"Is that so?" I said, sliding down to sit next to her. "Well, I haven't had any problems with you so far."

"PSSSH, speak for yourself. I can't even stand you! I would pretty much love it if you just, like, dropped dead on the spot."

"I have a suggestion for you."

"What's that?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Really? Right here?"

"Er…what? No…"

"Sorry, but I don't think we know each other THAT well yet," she said with a wink. "So…did you enjoy getting serviced by Madam Pomfrey for so long?"

"I did, in fact. As a matter of fact, we're going to continue seeing each other outside of work, in the future."

"Wow! How fortunate for you, that she's picked you out of all the other little boys she's seen naked!"

"THAT…went a little too far, Tessa, even for you. And I'll have you know that my little boy is actually rather large."

She snickered. "I do believe we'll have to put that to the test someday, Mister Pettigrew."

"Ew…I'd rather not put it to the test with you, of all people!"

"Merlin! Have some semblance of manners! I'll have you know I'm actually a very sensitive woman."

"Sensitive to the callings of insanity, perhaps."

We snickered together for a bit.

"So…would you like some butterbeer, by any chance?" she offered.

Despite my complaining, I definitely enjoyed being around Tessa – she was so actively disconnected from everything that she managed to make me forget about all my problems when I was with her. Of course, I could only take so much of her at a time without wanting to hang myself, but, such is life.

"Sure, why not?"

With a cheeky grin, she handed me the one she'd been drinking from. "Go on, it's still cold."

"Alright," I said, hoping she hadn't spiked it with anything hallucinatory. As I did, I quickly surveyed her outfit today – unlike usual, she wasn't dressed in pyjamas, but in a form-fitting, forest green sweater and her cute pair of tantalizingly-unzipped corduroy pants. Her hair also looked nicer that usual – it was still greasy, but it was done up, which gave it some flavor.

"See anything you'd like to take home for the evening, sir?" she asked in a deliciously teasing tone.

I winked at her. "If I did, I certainly wouldn't admit it aloud."

"Oh? Then you'd say so with your body instead? I'd best brace myself just in case, then!"

I chuckled and took another draw from the bottle. "Seriously though, you, er…" I swallowed and rapidly said, "You look cute today."

"GH!" she said, jumping away from me in shock. "D-do you really mean that?"

I shrugged. "Well, yeah."

Tessa crawled forward towards me, pressing her forehead against mine. My heart began beating really fast, despite it just being Tessa. I was pretty sure I felt nothing for her romantically, but then again, I also enjoyed her company more than I assume is normal to like that of an apparently mentally unstable person.

"You're lying," she whispered. I could feel her warm, beer-flavored breath on my lips. "You don't find me attractive."

"I didn't say I did, I just said you look cute."

Tessa pulled away, giving me a surprisingly angry look as she zipped her pants back up. "I apologize. It was my mistake."

"Er…what was?…What's gotten in to you?"

Tessa quickly turned her head away from me. "I thought you realized all our, er, suggestive banter was just for fun."

"…I DO think that. Or should I not? Just…tell me what's wrong! We can't put things to right if you don't clue me in here."

Tessa gave a strange little hiss, still looking away. "Just go. I was wrong to talk with you so often. I don't want to put things to right."

"Eh? What?" I gave a frustrated growl. "Are you kidding me, here? After ALL the flirtatious things you've said to me, when I tell you you're cute you get this mad?! How the hell does that work?"

"Stop yelling! You're drawing attention to us!" Tessa whined, sinking down onto the floor.

"Right, sorry," I said quickly catching myself.

"Look…if you'd just said it jokingly, it obviously wouldn't have been a problem."

"So, you had a problem with…me meaning it."

"Aren't you the sharp one?"

"Hey. It's FINE, Tessa. If you really don't want to be friends anymore, we can stop, but I honestly didn't mean anything beyond just making a friendly observation. Alright?"

Tessa heaved her shoulders and sat up crawling back over to me. "Peter…you didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault, I'm…I'm doing the same thing I always do, despite everything! Every time it's the same…dammit!"

"I am so lost right now, it's not even funny."

She giggled. "Okay, look." She picked up my hand and held it in hers. "We can try again. I'll behave myself more, and you have to PROMISE not to think of me in a, er…more than friends way."

"I didn't though, I -"

"I know, I know. I believe you. It was my bad this time. But I would like to be friends with you; I really like you," she said with a happy smile, one that quickly shifted into horror. "Son of a BITCH!" she cried, bashing her forehead violently against her trunk.

"Are you aspiring to the noble profession of the House Elf now, Miss Prewitt?" I grinned. She snickered in response, though she punched the trunk a couple times out of frustration. "I know you meant just now that you like me as a friend."

"Oh, good," she gasped, pulling away and shaking her hair out of her eyes. "That was a close one."

I'm starting to understand…well, not really…but I'm at least understanding what she wants at the moment – zero romantic associations. Perhaps that has something to do with her attempts to keep herself grimy and unclean. I'm not at all sure how she was alright with some of the things she's teased me about, if she has this attitude, but apparently dirty jokes are fair game as long as they're jokes. I won't press my luck today, though. I think she's broken.

"So, you were in the Hospital Wing for quite a while this term," Tessa said, snuggling up next to me. I instantly got an erection, one that I was careful to adjust so it was pointing away from her. "Remus wouldn't tell anyone why, though."

"Well, you know that ritual that I mentioned I was preparing for a ridiculously long time?"

"Ahh…"

"Yep. It was…significantly less that enjoyable."

"Pssh! You weakling!" she grinned, play-punching me. "A real man would've walked out of the Hospital Wing, entrails flapping behind him as he went!"

"Unfortunately, men as real as THAT tend to die extremely quickly."

"Mine," she said, grabbing the butterbeer from me and guzzling.

"I didn't backwash," I said, waiting a moment before adding, "Too much."

She abruptly spat it out all over us, laughing hoarsely. "That was mean!"

I sneered. "Says the person who just rejected my spit! I mean, c'mon! That hurts! I invested a lot of saliva in that bottle."

She winked at me and started sensually kissing the lid of the bottle.

"Er…you're not expecting me to drink from that again, are you?"

Tessa rolled her eyes, beaming. "Of course not; I'm not done yet!" She proceeded to continue seducing the bottle, going so far as start pumping it and out of her mouth.

"Oi! Stop it!" I said.

Her eyes danced with mirth, however, and she continued servicing the bottle.

I stood up and grabbed my trunk. "Well, Happy Christmas. Guess I'll see you later!"

"W-wait! Where are you going?" she asked quickly jumping up as well, hurt in her eyes.

"Um, home."

"Sorry, I meant, er…why so abruptly? I thought we were having fun!"

I gently put a hand behind her back and pulled her closer. "After what happened earlier, I thought it would be safe to call it quits now."

"Huh? What happened earlier, again?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

I looked at her in exasperation. "That's quite a selective memory you have there."

She winked. "Well, as long as you're not mad, it's okay. Might I have a kiss for the road, good sir?"

"Uh-uh-um…" I said, quite coherently, looking at her full lips and heavily considering it. Before I could move, however, she held out her hand, palm down.

"I do believe it was proper etiquette five bazillion years for the knight to kiss only the wrist of a lady."

"You're not a lady. You're a moron."

"Oh, come here, Peter!" Tessa breathed, suddenly rushing forward and pushing her lithe body against mine and holding me tight. I gulped and tried my hardest to make my erection go away by thinking in great detail about Voldemort murdering James and Lily. I felt her wet breath on my ear as she said, "Have a good holiday, Peter. And, um, thanks for calling me cute, earlier. It was my bad for freaking out."

"Oh, n-n-no problem," I said, gently massaging her small back.

"Goodbye," she breathed, pulling her lips away from my ear to stopping right in front of my lips.

She's so CLOSE, I can feel her…the edge of her lips are scraping mine. I'm finally having my first kiss! I gently close my eyes and prepare to give in to some much-needed affection.

*WHACK!* A burst of pain impacted me in the face instead of her lips. I could only see white for a moment, but I could hear her laughing hysterically. She must have beaned me.

"Oh WOW! How stupid do you have to be to fall for that?" Tessa jeered. "You think I'd kiss you?! In your dreams, mate!"

I groaned, now plagued by a headache and a bleeding nose, and pushed myself up on my elbow.

"Aww, you don't look very happy," Tessa said with a smirk. "But it's good practice. Do NOT get your hopes up for romance with me!" she said angrily, poking me in the forehead. "You'll always be let down, except worse than this. Got it?" Hmm. She must have detected my attraction to her…most likely due to the fact that I'd had an erection pressed against her stomach.

I nodded, glaring at her. "I'm sure you could have made your point in a way that didn't smash my nose."

"Eh, no one's perfect. Well, I'll see you at the Yule Festival! Have a great next few days!" she sang cheerily, crossing the Common Room with three long leaps. Her mood swings are amazing! She's like a mood trapeze artist!

However, I couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed by her. I really wanted a friend right now that would reassure me and comfort me, and it seemed Tessa wouldn't be that person. I was so tired and sore these days…well…at least I'd be at home soon! Hopefully I'd get some rest there.

* * *

><p>After I cleaned myself up from Tessa's irritating attack, I, too, flooed home.<p>

Strange prickles crackled throughout my skin as I stepped foot into Pettigrew House. It was darkly lit, with neither of my parents there to greet me.

"Hullo? I'm home!" I announced, to the smothering silence of indifference. My parents were there; I could sense their magical signatures.

Giving up any hope of being noticed, I calmly called for Marlee, my personal House Elf. She apparated to me immediately, smiles on both our faces.

I was glad to see she hadn't been murdered on a whim by either of my parents, yet. They seemed to think continually disposing new House Elves was a sign of prosperity. I haven't the slightest idea why, nor would I ever condone such behavior, but I definitely didn't have the power to change that before.

"Master Peter! You's arrived! And you lookin' so handsome too!" Marlee sang. "How was Hoggy-hoggy-hoggywarts this time?"

"Thanks, Marlee," I said, canceling the Levitation Charm on my trunk and leaning down to embrace her in a brief hug. "It's been…a difficult year, I'd say. But I've come out of it stronger."

"Marlee's sad to hear about Master Peter's bad times. She wants to visit the Master when he in Hospital, but Mistress says no."

"Well, it's alright, I'm out of the Hospital now."

"Yes, you is!"

I chuckled and massaged her ears affectionately.

"Does Master Peter want Marlee to take him to his chamber? Marlee cleaned it all up for Master today, it looking very sparkly and pretty."

"Sure, I'd love to see it," I said, bracing myself for sidelong apparition. Marlee was getting better at it, but travel by House Elf apparition is still much more disorienting than even ordinary apparition.

Marlee, my trunk, and I popped into my chambers. Sure enough, it looked very well-cleaned, with my canopy bed and its velvet drapes looking very posh and elegant. Marlee's taste in room décor always mapped a little towards the feminine side, but she always clearly worked very hard, and it did look nice and welcoming, so I didn't have the heart to complain.

"Nicely done, Marlee," I let her know, which inspired her to dance in celebration.

"Marlee is so happy that Master likes it! Does Master want Marlee to unpack his things?"

"That would be excellent, thanks," I said, running my hand through my thin, sparkly purple curtains with a wry grin.

I reclined on the bed, taking a book of rare curses from my collection with me. After Marlee had organized everything to her satisfaction, she offered refreshments, to which I declined, and then left, saying to call if I needed anything as always.

An hour slipped by rather quickly until Marlee popped back in, bowing low. "Master Peter, Master Victor wants to see you, he does."

"Certainly," I said, setting my book aside. I wonder what he wanted? I rarely saw my father, as he thought me worth far less than his precious time. "Where is he?"

"In the third floor study, Master Peter. Shall I take you to him?"

"No thanks; I think I'll get myself warmed up by going on foot."

"As you wish. Be…careful. I do not think he wants to talk."

Ah. If it's a fight he's after, then he'll certainly get one. I fastened my wand holster to my wrist and walked out the door, ruminating on all the spells in my repertoire that might be useful in close-quarters combat.

I always enjoyed travel through Pettigrew House – it was structured rather nonsensically, which made it a bit of a pleasantly mind-boggling experience. It had a distorted layout, with three true "floors," but with many ramps and spiral staircases between them, which served to milk every square foot of each floor for various rooms, secret chambers, and passageways. A great many realms in the house were blood warded.

For my first two years at school, I often had Remus over to visit. Those were blissful memories…we'd race each other throughout the elaborate mazes, trying top one another in discovering the many pointless secrets in the house.

That was all before I got scared of him, due to his secret…while I never admitted it to him, the fact that he was a werewolf truly bothered me for a long while, which encouraged me to acquire an Animagus form as soon as possible (with James and Sirius's assistance, of course).

Things have never really been the same between Remus and I, but I'd like to change that – he's very useful and very trustworthy, and will be irreplaceable in my fight against the Dark Lord. Not to mention he's sweet and caring, and seemingly the only person in the world that I can unconditionally rely on.

I arrived at one of the secret corridors on the third floor, where my father's study was. The entire hall was constructed from mirrors, and several shrunken heads hung from the curved ceiling, thus lending it a very unsettling atmosphere.

As I neared the room, my father came into the hall, no doubt alerted by his foe glass. He regarded me silently for a moment, puffing his everpresent pipe, with his hands in the pockets of his robe. I met his gaze steadily.

After a moment, he opened his mouth, spewing fumes in the process, and said, "Your mother tells me you're a good deal more impressive this year. Finally seeking to prove your worth out of desperation, eh?" He ambled over to me, eyes keen and discerning. "Your face is still ugly, boy. Why is that?"

"I don't know, sir."

"'I don't know' isn't an answer, it's an excuse," he said snippily. "It's no wonder your star has fallen so far with a face like that."

"I wasn't aware my star had very far to fall in the first place, sir."

"Don't get fresh, boy. Listen – what's the first thing you think of when you hear someone's name?"

"Er…"

"Do you think of their build? Of their intelligence? Of their money? Well, the logically-minded might, perhaps, but the common witch or wizard will think first and foremost of the person's face." He puffed his pipe thoughtfully while he grabbed my rock-solid biceps and squeezed them. I answered by flexing back. "I see you've been attempting to rectify the general disgust people have for you. Yet, as always, you've failed to follow through on any count."

I held my chin up in offense, but responded, "It appears so, sir."

"You never think through anything, do you? Tell me, do you even have a plan? What is your end goal? What reason do you have to live? Tell me why I shouldn't slash you from the family tree right now. Tch! I so many waste precious resources on you that I could be putting to better use. Don't think for a second that I can't replace you as my heir, either."

I folded my arms. "I DO have a plan, father, but I will not convey it at the moment."

He sneered and shook his head in disgust. "I have nothing more to say to you. You're dismissed." I nodded and turned to go.

After I took a few steps, I immediately sensed him launch some curse at me. I'd been waiting for that, however, and nonverbally launched a countercurse in response. The two spells burst against each other, causing the hall to flash a vivid indigo.

The magics in the air between us crackled, surging to life in this hall thick with magical history.

"Masters, you musn't fight here," a House Elf said, popping in. "This house is very old, yes it is, and…"

My dad launched a Slicing Curse at her, which I quickly cancelled with a Shield Charm. Wide-eyed, the elf apparated away without another word.

"Those who waste time protecting the hopelessly weak are themselves hopelessly weak," my father lectured.

"I believe that having someone to protect actually serves to propel a wizard to greater abilities."

He smirked at me. "Let's test that theory, shall we?" He broke into a sadistic grin, launching a Severing charm, a Knockback charm, and a Cascading jinx in rapid succession.

I answered by erecting several marble stone pillars via my Transfiguration bracelet, and began launching _Verdimillious_ after _Verdimillious_, arcing around them to pincer attack my opponent. I desperately wanted to test out my new family spells, but I didn't want to risk extensive destruction of my home, so I decided to stick to my typical assortment.

He apparently survived the lightning attack, for he then crushed through my pillars with a Reductor curse. I expected that, however, so I launched my prepared Glacius Charm, which summoned an unearthly, jaggedly-spiked glacier to rapidly spread down the hallway towards him. I could see the surprise in his eyes, but he magically propelled himself up and over them, quickly launching a series of wholly arcane dark curses at me. I cancelled them out with a superpowered _Expulso_, which finally nailed him with a clean hit.

I followed up with several more _Verdimillious_, which wracked his body with obvious agony midair, before using a summoning charm to hurl him downwards into my glacial spikes.

Despite moaning in pain, he wasn't down for the count, however, for he summoned an inferno of volcanic flames around him right before he hit, which melted the ice enough so he could land without getting razed. His body still gave a satisfying crunch, however, when he landed. Although I launched a smattering of hexes at him, he took the opportunity to launch his summoned flames at me, ferociously.

I thought fast, barely remembering the incantation for a Flame-Freezing Charm. As his flame attack fell apart, I hissed, "Serpensortia," but poured considerable power into it, so the snake materialized around his neck, fangs bared.

My father quickly tried to slice it off, but I transfigured the snake into a very tight, multiknotted noose, hanging from the ceiling. It was quite rewarding to see him sputtering and gagged, swinging back and forth.

I watched for a while, thrilled with my victory, before my mother suddenly appeared beside me, staring at her burnt, mutilated husband. "Peter! Stop!" She cast a Finite Incantatum, but my magic was overpowering hers by a strong margin. Panicking, she whirled to me. "Let him down this instant! You've won already."

I sighed, having wanted to torment him a little longer, but grunted in response and dissolved the noose. My father splattered towards the floor, but my mother quickly cast a Levitation Charm on him, barely stopping him from getting annihilated by the frozen spikes in place.

My hand twitched as he raised his wand up to me while floating in midair, but he grunted when he realized he was too weak to muster the energy.

"I…forfeit," he muttered before falling unconscious, wand rattling to the floor.

I grinned and began snickering. "Are you serious? That's all you've got? All this time, you've been a worthless shit? HAH! No wonder our house has lost so much power with YOU calling the shots!"

My mum gently levitated him to the magically transparent floor, laying him between us. "Do not speak to your father with such disrespect, Peter," she scolded me. "He has achieved a great many things in life."

"None of which are things I'm proud to be a part of," I growled. "When I take over our house, I'll make us great again."

She folded her arms and looked me up and down a bit. "You continue to surprise me, my son."

"That's what makes me dangerous," I said with a dark grin. My body was still aching to hurt and maim, adrenalin pumping through me from the fight.

"Well done today. I was monitoring your altercation from my bedroom from the start, you see."

"Ah. I see. Th-thank you," I said with a blush, having never been complimented by my mother before. Well, except for during that hospital visit, that is.

"See that you do not let yourself slip, and I predict you will make good on your promise to make our family name great again one day. But you must accept that your father is head of the family now, and as such, you must respect him."

"Respect HIM?" I asked incredulously, wand pointed at the smoldering body before us. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Trust me when I say he's not completely worthless. His strength lies in political maneuvering and plotting. The two of you could accomplish much if you both put aside your egos and deign to work with each other."

I crossed my arms. "Very well. I can acknowledge that I could have a use for him so long as he keeps his backstabbing of me to a minimum."

"I think that's a given now," she said with a satisfied smile. "He wouldn't believe a word I said about your new potential, so I think this turn of events was inevitable. He should be more willing to acknowledge your existence from this point forward."

"I should hope so. I'll, er, see you at supper," I said, inclining my head to her and departing for my chambers. I heard her summon some House Elves to fetch supplies for healing him. As a professional medi-witch, I had no doubt that he would quickly make a rapid recovery.

* * *

><p>Dinner was especially delicious that night, as, for once, I wasn't the subject of disdain by my parents but, rather, a cause of wariness. Neither of them mentioned the duel, but it was clearly heavy in each of our minds.<p>

As I shoveled food hungrily into my mouth, I kept a constant watch on my very-bandaged father, who was getting fed by a very nervous House Elf. His potent humiliation was so apt and deserving that my chuckles almost got the better of me.

My mum spoke up after a bit. "Peter, we have something important to discuss with you."

"Oh?" I asked, wiping my face with my napkin and straightening up.

My father cleared his throat and said in a gravelly voice, "A few weeks ago, your mother and I decided to secure your future by arranging a marriage between you and a worthy witch."

My jaw dropped, eyes bugging out in disbelief. AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE?! I didn't have time to deal with something like that right now. The Dark Lord was actively destroying targets according to the news, after all, so there was very little reason for me to dally with something as time consuming as marriage.

Of course, if the deal had already been reached and was signed in blood, there was little reason to fight it. I'd best make the best of it.

"Close your mouth, Peter, that's unsightly," my mother scolded.

I blinked, realizing that my mouth had been hanging open for a bit. "Er, I apologize for my rudeness. I understand that arranged marriages are traditional custom and, as such, am ready to follow through with one if you think it would be beneficial."

"Good. Good. It seems there is some hope for you yet in the political realm, for you to react in such a way to a revelation you so clearly despise," my father observed, wincing from the effort to talk. I narrowed my eyes – I doubted that, even after our duel, my father would have deigned to compliment me for no reason. He must be buttering me up for some reason or another.

"If I may ask, who is the bride to be?" I questioned.

My mother looked away nervously while my father raised his chin slightly and declared, "A pureblood witch by the name of Alecto Carrow. Her family is very traditional and respectable and…"

"No. I refuse," I said before I could stop myself.

"Peter!" my mother scolded.

"What did you just say?!" my father demanded of me with a furious expression.

"Father…" I shook my head. "Do you honestly believe that a marriage with Alecto would BENEFIT my image? The Pettigrew family would get downgraded from being merely one of the lesser houses to being the laughingstock of the wizarding community if I was to marry her."

"How DARE you!" my father growled. "You question my political expertise?"

"I wonder, father; have you ever seen a picture of Miss Carrow?"

"No, but I can't imagine her appearance could possibly excuse such…"

"Accio Yearbook of School Year 1974," I cast, and, after a few seconds, I stood up to catch last year's yearbook as it rushed in to the dining hall. I flipped open to the Slytherin fifth years, (Alecto was now a sixth year) enlarged Alecto's portrait, and magnified the book so that her likeness floated in front of my parents. They flinched at her hideous appearance.

"Father, I am reasonably able to tolerate a certain degree of ugliness, being not at all good-looking, myself. But Alecto is infamous for her horrifying looks. I'm quite certain that tales of her being able to scare men into being homosexuals just by smiling at them have traveled beyond the walls of Hogwarts. Trust me when I say there is no one…wait, let me make certain of that…okay, yes. Excluding Dolores Umbridge (who recently won first place in Witch Weekly's top ten most unsightly persons), there is NO ONE I'd rather marry less than Alecto Carrow."

"Your personal preferences have nothing to do with it," my father said with a sneer, though he visibly gagged again when he looked at Alecto's floating portrait.

"Obviously," I said. "But social status DOES matter, doesn't it? The Carrows are not, in any way, powerful enough politically to cancel out the damage HER inclusion into the Pettigrew line would cause."

"I…think he's right, dear," my mother said to him. "Doing this would make a right fool out of all three of us."

My father stuck his nose in the air. "Well, I think you're both being short-sighted and sentimental. Once the Dark Lord seizes the ministry, families like the Carrows will be placed in new positions of renowned power."

I answered. "Even so, I doubt they'd ever rise high enough in the social ladder to escape the social embarrassment that is the existence of Alecto Carrow. No matter what, they'll undergo ridicule and contempt for her – such is the image-obsessed nature of society – and the same curse will spread to any family that bonds itself to theirs through marriage." I crossed my arms and smirked, glad I'd done some reconnaissance reading through Witch Weekly recently. Alecto was mercilessly mocked therein, which is rare for someone still in school. I would've felt some sympathy for her, but her family was also famously dark and sadistic. "It's just plain not a smart match, father."

My father bristled. "Well, it's already done, so you'll just have to deal with it, won't you?"

I slammed my fists on the table. "NO! I can't believe this! How could you be so blind?"

My father returned with, "Well, we didn't have much of a choice, Mr. 'I-Masturbate-About-Bellatrix-Black!'" My eyes widened. "Your reputation at Hogwarts is worse than pathetic, and you should be grateful that we were able to secure an agreement with any pureblooded family at all because of it! You speak of the harm that Miss Carrow could bring to the family, but you should fix your own behavior first! You are a curse and a pestilence to this house!"

I seethed. "The media has written nothing but slander about me! I would never admit to something that could mar the family name."

"I know you wouldn't, but you aren't doing anything to make people like you, either! For Merlin's sake! Whenever we'd propose a marriage between you and a possible pureblood girl, the parents would either flinch in disgust or start laughing. The Carrows were the ONLY family to even consider marrying you with their daughter, and even that took some bartering."

"Father, if I had simply known that you were up to this, I would have made much more of an effort to better my reputation at school. I've been focusing on gathering power all this time!"

"Having no brains, no reputation, and no future is not a worthwhile sacrifice in return for your power. Now, you are quite powerful for your age, I'll give you that, but you can't make your way in society through brute force!"

"What about the Dark Lord! All he's doing is wielding his brute force, and he's making inroads into society."

"Yes, well, he's unique, isn't he? That's why he's a Dark Lord! One cannot call oneself as such without the magical potency to back it up."

"I am aware of that," I growled, grinding my teeth.

"ENOUGH!" My mother interrupted, standing up. "Stop bickering, you two. Peter, this was supposed to be a surprise gift. You shame yourself by reacting this way."

I rolled my eyes. "If someone handed you a skinless horse carcass infected by maggots, would you accept it with a gracious smile?"

"Yes, because I always keep my social station in mind," she said snootily.

I rubbed my eyes. "So…what if both you and the Carrows agreed to cancel the marriage? Could we nullify the agreement that way?"

My father sighed. "Not usually, but yes. They did, in fact, demand the inclusion of an escape clause in the agreement. If you can convince them to retract their participation in this marriage, then, IF I retract my participation from it as well, you should be freed from the obligation to marry her."

I exhaled in relief. "Good. And you said they didn't want me to marry her anyway, correct? Then that should be easy."

My mother inclined her head. "They should be present at the Yule Festival this year. Perhaps you can request an audience with them there."

"Ah, good. I will do so."

"However, Peter," my dad said snootily, "I will not retract my participation from the agreement until you can show me proof that another proper bride is interested in you. The necessity for our family security remains a key factor here, you understand."

I nodded, mind whirling. Who could I get as a Pureblood bride? The obvious answer would be Tessa, my closest Pureblood female friend. However, she had made it very clear that she didn't want to pursue even a vague hint of romance with me. I didn't like her romantically, either, so it looked as though I'd have to go searching for someone else.

"Very well, I understand. I promise to deal with this mess to satisfaction, Father."

"See that you do. Now…I believe, at this same Yule Festival, there will be a broad selection of Pureblood witches." Aha! Good thinking, dad. "As such, you will need to go to great lengths to transform yourself into an attractive option. Because, for whatever reason, you most certainly are NOT a viable option at present, in most witches' minds, anyway."

"You make a good argument," I agreed. "I will do what is necessary."

"Peter? I think this situation calls for some shopping, don't you?" my mother said with a grin.

I mentally groaned, but I saw the necessity. I fully intended to do this, although not so much for my parents' sake, but for securing my own future, and hopefully for finding a bride I could stand to be around. I had overheard, from most witches, that arranged marriages aren't really their thing, however, so I truly had my work cut out for me in finding a bride.

* * *

><p>A week passed, bringing the impending Yule Festival to the fore of wizarding people's thoughts. All wizarding families seemed keen to jump onboard and focus on an ancient tradition celebrating optimism and warmth, eager to forget the threat of the Dark Lord's steady approach. I couldn't really blame them – it's human nature to seek out comfort above all else, after all. However, it seemed extremely likely, to me, that there would be an attack at the festival, tonight. The Dark Lord would almost certainly take great amusement in seizing everyone's merriment for himself.<p>

I certainly didn't consider myself to have reached the height of my potential power and knowledge, so I didn't want to put myself out there too much, if an attack occurred. Hopefully, in the mass panic, I'd have a chance to bag a Death Eater or two without drawing too much attention.

Thus, I found myself unshakably on edge at the Yule Festival, dressed in blood red, brand new dress robes that were a gift from my mum – the borderline naughty way that it hugged every contour of muscle around my body didn't help to put me at ease at all, nor did the fact that it was made out of fine, Chinese silk. I was wholly embarrassed, and really wanted to flee the premises immediately. But I was here to do two jobs – showing up the Death Eaters, and seeing if I could gain an audience with Carrow, Sr., to form some sort of deal to get out of this horrifying marriage concert I'm stuck in.

The festival was held this year on the luscious land of the Malfoys, on a gentle hill circling a glistening lake, gently dancing under the stars. The arcane, natural side of things, what the Solstice was really celebrating, seemed alive and beautiful today. It's a shame that human life never lives up to the trappings that surround it.

I felt somewhat forced by my contour-hugging dress robes into adopting stocky, strutting poses as I toured the premises, exchanging polite greetings and well-wishes to everyone who made eye contact with me, especially the ladies. I reminisced fondly of last year's festival, during which I spent almost the entire time in my rat form, scurrying under unsuspecting witches' dresses and staring in pure ecstasy at their underwear and the beautiful forms just barely concealed underneath. Those were truly happy days, upon reflection, but I remember still being unsatisfied, still wanting more out of life. How little did I know…now it's hard to milk enjoyment out of anything, for me. I suspect that, while goggling at knickers would indeed be still enjoyable, I think I would now recognize such excitement as being completely empty and unfulfilling…which it is. I don't want to be that person anymore. I have to be someone I like, now, since no one else seems to. That's the only way I can hope to cope with this mission I'm trapped in, now.

Abraxas Malfoy's sonorous-enhanced voice rang out: "To all respected witches and wizards here today, I bid you welcome to this year's Yule Festival. It is a time-honored tradition for us to gather together and celebrate the bountiful magic that floods our world on the Winter Solstice. We must treat each other with honor today, for we are one with the magic, and, thus, one with nature itself today."

Ignoring the rest of his welcome speech, I took a glass of Chardonnay from the serving house elf, sipping it as I cast my eyes around for familiar faces. Spotting James's untamable mop, I braced myself and approached them, trying to stow away my anxiety.

"Hey guys, Blessed Yule!" I greeted them, feeling wholly pathetic next to them…as usual.

"Blessed Yule, mate!" Sirius beamed. He and James were wearing matching Santa outfits, in blatant mockery of the festival. No surprise there, and they looked genuinely hilarious. "Are you…planning on teaching a fitness class, wearing a thing like that?"

"You look like you could use one," I returned with a good-natured barb. "Had a few too many firewhiskeys this week?"

"One for every woman I've bedded so far!" Sirius chuckled with a wink.

James, who had been giving me a condescending glare up till now, looked askance and asked me, "Wait…do I know you?"

I felt a drop in temperature as I stood there in silence, staring at him, trying to will myself not to get upset. James has always been a bit of a prick, and he's quite difficult to get close to. Clearly, I'd thrown away all established goodwill between him and I.

Sirius, realizing James wasn't going to make a joke of it, tried to clear the air, saying, "Don't take it personal, Wormy. James is just getting fed up with Lily these days. She's actually started sending him lists of all the things she hates about him."

James sighed, still not making eye contact with me. "It's true. I try to laugh it off, but I'm starting to think she actually hates me."

"You'll pull through, mate," I tried to encourage him. "At the very least, you're getting an emotional reaction! You know what they say – hate and love are actually very similar emotions, just slightly tweaked from each other."

"Indeed! Very well put!" Sirius said appreciatively, stealing my wine and taking a sip before handing it back.

James looked up at me coldly. "I'm pissed about her…but there's someone else I'm more pissed about."

"Hey Prongs…he came up and talked to us, the least we can do is give him a chance," Sirius said, in a clear effort to placate him. I felt wounded by his words, too, however. Of course they had the right to feel betrayed and abandoned by me, but I'd been hoping that our brotherhood could pull through. Sirius' wording seemed to suggest that he was secretly pissed at me, as well.

"Have a fun time tonight, guys," I said hurriedly, wanting to exit before I started getting emotional. "And, um…I'm really sorry about missing the full moon. I'll be there next time, if you'll have me," I said as I walked away.

I distinctly heard James snort and say, "Not likely."

"James…" Sirius admonished him, softly.

I stopped and turned around, fixing James with a cold glare. "You have no idea what I've been going through."

"Well, you've been doing well enough on your own so far," James said, looking back unblinkingly. "We don't want you with us, and you clearly don't want us with you."

I squared my shoulders. "Is that it, then? Five years of friendship, completely erased? Are we done, Prongs?"

James took a slog of firewhiskey and narrowed his eyes at me. "Oh yeah, we're done…Pettigrew. Not like you were ever worth your weight in shit, anyway."

Pangs and prickles seemed to erupt all over my body. Dammit! I HATE it when I can't suppress my emotions. It freaks me out.

Hoping to get away before they spotted my weakened state, I turned heel and marched blindly away from them, trying not to think about what just happened. I'm no longer…a Marauder?

I felt the tears rush out, and quickly emptied my mind and emotions of all things. I can't risk breaking down in the middle of all these people! I'd never be able to live with myself if I did.

I kept striding away, the demons of my emotions at my heels, until I narrowly avoided a condition with a woman with brilliant red hair.

"Ah, p-pardon me, Miss, my mistake," I quickly said, before realizing whose arm I'd just clubbed: Molly Prewitt, a graduate and former prefect of Gryffindor House, and one of my earliest crushes. My face burned with bashfulness at seeing her. She looked ridiculously gorgeous, as usual, with a rather revealing violet dress. I had to try with all my might not to overtly stare at her fantastic body.

"Oh! It's…aren't you…Peter Pettigrew?" Molly said with a wince.

I beamed, turning my head and blinking away my tears. "Yes! I'm surprised you remember me, honestly."

"Well, from what I remember, you weren't so…er…well-formed," her gentle voice said, betraying some amusement.

I jolted in surprise, looking to her in time to see her eyes swiftly skip back up from checking me out. I guess Mum really knew what she was doing when she bought this dress robe!

"Miss Prewitt, I do not even come close to matching your, er…mastery in that regard," I said, approaching something like suaveness.

Molly laughed, folding her arms under her bosom. "Blessed Yule to you, Peter." Oh, yes it is. Just LOOK at those melons! Wait – don't be a perv! Act naturally, self!

"Oh! If it isn't Mister Pettigrew," Tessa said, coming up and handing a glass of wine to Molly. Tessa, shockingly, looked completely bathed today, and she was even wearing makeup! I could barely recognize her. Her narrow, deep-green dress with a plunging neckline didn't really seem like something she would ordinarily wear, either. "And the first thing I see you doing is ogling my cousin's tits. Why am I not surprised?"

I felt myself reel with shame from that statement, unable to meet Molly's eyes. This night is NOT going well.

"That wasn't nice at all, Tess!" Molly berated her younger cousin. "Look, you made him want to kill himself!"

I chuckled. "Well, I'm not quite there yet. Close, though." I bowed my head (with eyes closed) to Molly. "I apologize, Molly, I was unable to stop myself."

"Oh, it's quite alright. It's a night of revelry, after all," Molly said, waving it away like no big deal. I like the way she thinks. I snuck another look at her yummy breasts and smiled in delight.

Tessa, seeming to be in a pissy mood tonight, took a long sip of wine. "So, how has your holiday been, Peter?"

"I wouldn't say it's gone exactly the way I would've hoped," I said quietly. "My parents saw fit to sign me into an arranged marriage with Alecto Carrow."

Molly gasped and Tessa spat the wine in her mouth all over me.

At Molly's look, Tessa huffed, "…What? That wine was some nasty shit! I totally spit it out on purpose."

"Anyway, I'm really sorry to hear about that, Peter. They're a dreadful family," Molly said with a frown.

"Yeah, your parents must really hate you. Or want to turn you into a homosexual," Tessa theorized aloud.

I grinned. "Right, well; I don't plan on giving up just yet."

"Oh, on liking men?" Tessa clarified.

"No, on going to put an end to this marriage."

"Is that even possible?" Molly asked.

"I'm pretty sure…that if you kill EVERYONE in the Carrow family, you'll be free!" Tessa grinned. "Need help?"

"Nah, I've got it covered…I hope…and, don't look at me like that, Molly, I'm going to talk it out with them."

"I'm pretty sure they won't listen to reason, Peter," Molly said sadly. "They'll dig their heels in and be stubborn for no reason other than pure spite."

"Interesting. I like a challenge," I grinned. "Now, I'm going to attempt to seek them out. I don't suppose you've seen them?"

"They're over by the yule tree," Tessa said, jabbing her thumb backwards. "You can't miss them…in fact, I daresay it's impossible to miss a herd of losers as ugly as that bunch."

"Awesome! Thanks for the help! Blessed Yule to both of you!" I said, waving and leaving to pursue my quarry.

Unfortunately, I barely stopped myself from colliding with Bellatrix Black, who stood in front of me in a shimmering strapless dress that made her look quite desirable. The two Lestrange brothers stood behind her. "Ooh, what is this, Pettigrew? Don't tell me your tastes have shifted to redheads now?"

"Er," I said intelligently. "I'm sorry about the whole fiasco, Bellatrix, I never wanted anything like that to happen."

Bellatrix gasped, putting a petite, gloved hand to her chest. "Speaking to me by name? How bold! Well, I am certain you know that I'm an easily annoyed witch, so I don't think you can blame me for wanting to seek justice for what you've done." She sneered, putting a wand against my neck before I could react. I sensed the two Prewitts come alongside us.

"Let him go," Tessa demanded. My heart soared for her. I saw the Lestranges arm themselves, behind Bellatrix.

Bellatrix gave her a teasing grin before whispering in my ear, her soft breasts smashed against my arm. "Unless you want to find yourself short one Prewitt, why don't you join me for a private chat at my Manor, Peter? I promise you'll enjoy yourself. What do you say?"

"Don't you dare touch them," I growled, uselessly fingering my own wand.

She just leered at me. "I was certainly honored to learn that you regularly beat yourself off to me! I mean, hey; if you weren't so fucking ugly, there's a chance I'd let you shag me."

Molly impatiently tossed a nonverbal curse, instantly disabling one of the Lestranges. Onlookers turned to her and gasped in amazement, as the Lestranges were quite feared wizards. "You don't know who you're dealing with, Miss Black," Molly warned. "We're Prewitts – not some undisciplined trash like you lot."

Bella whirled me around to face the girls, holding me against her chest, wand still tearing a hole in my neck. "Hold your tongue, woman, or your little man-slut here gets what's coming to him early."

Now able to make eye contact with Tessa, I gave her wink, to which she stepped forward and said. "You know, Bellatrix, I hear tell that the Dark Lord is recruiting. I don't suppose you might know how I could get in touch with his recruiting department?"

"Why the hell would the Dark Lord take a prepubescent, virgin bitch like you?" Bella taunted.

Tessa's eyes flashed. "_Avada Kedra-_"

I immediately felt Bella's arms loosen in surprise, so I quickly jerked free, nonverbally put her in a 24-hour coma, and disarmed Tessa. Meanwhile, Molly quickly shielded against the other Lestrange's attacks. Seeing that he was at a distinct disadvantage now, he growled and retreated into the crowd. Mild applause greeted our performance.

"I wasn't ACTUALLY going to cast it," Tessa said with a frown as I handed her wand back to her.

I grinned. "That's a chance I didn't want to take! You'd be much less fun in Azkaban." I then embraced her anorexic body with a quick hug, whispering "Thanks."

She squeezed back for a good five seconds before wordlessly letting go with a blush.

"Do I get a hug, too?" Molly asked with a smirk.

"Nope!" Tessa beamed. "Sorry. You had your chance but you blew it."

"Don't answer for me," I reprimanded her, before saying to Molly, "Sorry – I would, but I have a feeling I'd get my bits hexed off by a certain someone." I jerked my head towards Tessa. "Maybe next time."

"I'll hold you to that, good sir!" Molly grinned.

"Thanks for your help, both of you, I really appreciate it," I said one last time, excusing myself as the Prewitts began launching random jinxes at Bellatrix's comatose body.

I weaved my way hurriedly through the crowd, anxious to find the Carrows before they left or something. Before long, I realized I'd picked up a shadow. I prepared my wand just in case, but a simple look over my shoulder revealed my assailant to be merely Rita Skeeter, in a ridiculously slutty golden dress.

"Hey Peter!" she sang, waving merrily. "Blessed Yule."

"Blessed Yule, Rita," I said, eying her pad and quill anxiously. "Listen, I wish I could stay and chat, but could I get back to you? I have someone I'm trying to meet."

"Pettigrew seems skittish, as though he's hiding some terrible secret," she murmured aloud as she wrote.

"I'm sorry, but I really…"

"Peter, is it true that you are seeking to murder Rodolphus Lestrange to claim Bellatrix for yourself?"

"No, Rita, it's not."

She wrote some more, murmuring, "He denies everything, but his eyes say otherwise."

I held a hand against my eyes. "Fine, I'll say it with eyes covered – I do not have any affection for Bellatrix Black, and, as such, I have no desire to kill her fiancée."

"After being caught looking lecherously at the innocent, underage body of your honest reporter, he covers his eyes in shame."

"I'm the same age as you!"

"Ooh! How forward!" she murmured, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes, deciding to try and catch her off guard to see what would happen. "Rita, the truth is…I want to marry you."

She squeaked, looking at me with wide eyes. "Wh-what?"

"No one else will do, Rita. It's you. It's always been you."

"S-s-stop! Stay away!" she cried, pointing her wand at me.

I held up my hands in a gesture of peace. "Sure. Anything, for the girl I love."

She lowered hers, whimpering. "Y-y-you really…?"

"Yes, Rita. You're perfect."

"Uh…um…" she stared at me, cheeks blushing intensely.

"Well, it's getting late, and I have urgent business to attend to," I told her. "I've made my move, Rita. If you're interested, I heartily invite you to make yours. See ya!"

As I moved away, I felt a little guilty when she replied, "I-I will!"

Well…she IS a Pureblood…and, despite being duplicitous, untrustworthy, paranoid, backstabbing, and manipulative…I'm pretty sure I'd rather marry her than Alecto. I can always keep her in mind, I suppose, though I doubt I could ever love her.

Now then!

I made it to the Yule Tree, easily spotting the rotund figures of the Carrow siblings. I realized why they had hunkered down here – the refreshments were readily available for the taking in a giant booth.

My eyes greedily spied some truly scrumptious little cupcakes, so I ate three or four. The flavor was something awesome, and I felt myself grow aroused just from the taste.

Amidst my bliss, I noticed Alecto come up beside me, licking the icing off her own fingers. "Aren't these amazing?!" I asked her, unable to suppress my jubilation. "I should have been HERE all night!"

She chuckled, though she sounded a little nervous. "Heh, um, er…Blessed Yule, Peter," she said in a soft voice.

"Awwh, you don't have to be nervous around me!" I beamed. "We're mutual lovers of delicious food, are we not?"

She looked a little relieved, and nodded stupidly in agreement.

"Oh yes; Blessed Yule to you, as well, Alecto," I said.

"So, er…I take it that, seeing as you're talking with me, and you never have before," Alecto began, double-chin held high, "You've heard of the marriage contract."

"Your powers of observation do you credit, madam," I said, managing to pull myself away from the temptation of further engorging myself on cakes and sweets. "Well…it's true. I have heard." Hmm…I…SUPPOSE…I could give her a chance, if she really commits to staying in shape. Now that I'm talking to her, I don't find that I mind her personality all that much. I'm willing to stoop to bloody Rita Skeeter's level, after all, so why not?

"I see." Alecto held herself and swayed in place, shyly. "I know we've never talked before, but I have actually always found you to be a cutie, Peter…"

I chuckled. "Why, thank you."

"And I think we can make it work," she said. "I know it's not what either of us truly wanted, but that's just the way things are, so now we can make the best of it! What do you think?"

She seems WAY too upbeat about this. I'm starting to feel guilty.

"Er…" I scratched the back of my neck. "Okay…I'm still trying to process this myself, alright, Alecto? I am willing to…give it a shot, I suppose, but I want us both to really put forth our best effort to see what we think. Alright?"

"Eh! Stay away from my sister, you fucking Gryffindor shit!" Her brother Amycus spat, joining the conversation, icing fresh on his face. As he stuffed another cake in his mouth, I spied a Dark Mark on his forearm! Holy crap! One of my targets is standing right in front of me!

I cleared my throat. "Listen, I realize this is hard news for you to adjust to, but how's about showing a little respect for your future brother-in-law?"

"I'll cut off my balls and shove them down my mother's throat before I show respect to you!" he said venomously, icing and cake running from his mouth.

"Amycus!" Alecto hissed. "Are you seriously doing this to me right now? Have you no consideration for my feelings at all?" He hesitated to reply, so she looked back to me. "I'm SO, so sorry, Peter. And yes, you have my promise to always put forth my best effort for the sake of our marriage!"

"Well, we just might be able to make things work, then," I said, trying to force a smile.

"You just might be able to rape her, you mean," Amycus said, venomously. "You rotten bastard!"

I ignored him. "Well, in that case, have you ever heard of the Sexy Syrup, Version 7, before?"

"Hmm? I…don't think so," Alecto thought, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, it apparently works to mold your body quite quickly into being as attractive and fit as possible! Look – check out my ab muscles now! They're ridiculous! I…" I broke off, seeing a very hurt look on her face. "W-wait, I don't mean any…"

"Wh-what are you saying?" she cried, distraught. "Are you calling me fat?"

"You asshat! You made my sister CRY!" Amycus growled, continuing to showcase his intelligence.

I blinked. "Er…I'm not calling you fat, but…don't you think the polite thing to do is to make yourself as in shape as possible for your partner?"

Alecto let out an alarmingly loud wail of sadness, and I could feel many families' attentions turned towards me. "You think I'm fat! You think I'm hideous! Just like everyone else! I can't believe it! I thought I'd finally found someone who could understand and accept me, just the way I was!"

"W-w-wait, calm down, I don't…"

"Get away from me!" she screamed in grief. "Don't touch me!"

Amycus punched me in the face and spun me about to face him. "You're DEAD, Pettigrew."

"Is that so?" I said, raising my eyebrow.

"I'll show you how a real wizard handles things. Prepare to see Pettigrew House crumble from the shame I will bring upon you!" He grinned wickedly and pointed his wand to his throat. After casting a Sonorus, he said, "I hereby challenge Peter Pettigrew to a Wizard's Duel, for unforgivably insulting the glorious Carrow House! May he choose the time and place." A crowd oohed in interest, and several wizards and witches approached out of curiosity.

Feeling fairly confident, I cast a Sonorus myself and replied. "Right here. Right now."

The crowd gasped and immediately started discussing. If I knew James and Sirius at all, they were currently placing bets.

I twirled my wand and cleared the immediate vicinity of all obstacles and clutter.

Amycus sneered and concentrated, using an impressive display of Earth Magic to summon the strip of ground we were standing on to raise as one giant platform. "So everyone can see your dishonor," he explained with a wicked cackle.

I shook my head and smirked. "Very well. Shall we get started, then?" I quickly ran through my memories of the Pettigrew grimoire and its instructions for casting the two family curses.

"You fools!" Abraxus Malfoy said, floating up towards us. "How dare you sully our festival with your petty conflict? There hasn't been a duel on Yule for twenty-five years."

I heard a snicker from below and to my right. I peered down and saw a beaming Tessa Prewitt watching from close by. "Duel rhymes with Yule," she explained with a snort, causing several of her neighboring spectators to look at her like she was an idiot.

"Don't worry, Mr. Malfoy – this will be a BRIEF bout, and then you can get back to your peaceful merriment," Amycus grinned.

"With all due respect, we cannot stop now, or we risk dishonoring tradition," I said to the elder Malfoy.

He groaned. "Very well. I will serve as official for the match. Now…we will begin. Take your bows and proceed with the duel."

I gave a brief bow and looked up to find myself facing a torrent of illegal spells right from the start. As such, I quickly erected a Protego Horribilus, which is an extremely difficult-to-cast shield spell that nullifies all dark magic.

After the last spell of the torrent hit, I lifted my wand towards the heavens, calling forth all espers in my body and in the air. My vision turned hazy with violet energies. "_Terra Erumpant_!" I screamed in an inhuman voice, casting the Pettigrew Earthrending Charm.

All other spells headed my way were immediately nullified as the entire surrounding land area began shuddering. Suddenly, hundreds of enormous, shimmering spines of stone erupted amongst Amycus Carrow and his surrounding area. He never had any chance of escape. He didn't even have time to scream before he was ripped apart.

It was glorious. His blood spewed out as my spell mangled his body, and the red juices rained down on me. I welcomed it with outstretched arms, my head held back. The ritual had worked, completely. I was now a true, established, magical force to be reckoned with.

I looked up, wiping the Carrow blood from my eyes, and cast the countercurse. The bloodied spines retracted into the earth, leaving behind nothing but Amycus's shattered skeleton and pieces of his bloodied dress robe.

Everyone stood in shocked silence as I folded my arms, exhaling in satisfaction. How's this for publicity, dad?

"I…I name Peter Pettigrew as the victor of this Wizard's Duel," a blood-covered Abraxas Malfoy finally declared, staring at me in terror.

Yes I am.

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><p><strong>AN: **Well DAMN. Although nothing else ever seems to go right for our hero, at least he's finally managed a few victories in battle. We'll see if his luck holds out, though!

Remember to review, and to share any positive or negative thoughts you had on the chapter. I don't really care if you can't think of anything particularly interesting to say – even the slightest peep from you will delight me. If you'd like, however, I always enjoy hearing about what parts of the chapter (and the preceding chapter) did or didn't work for you. I also always like hearing about what you'd like to see happen in the future.

Also, please talk to me about my OC, Tessa. Are you buying her as a character, from what you know about her so far? Are you enjoying her and Peter's conversations?

Next chapter: Peter, Tessa, Molly, and Remus attack Voldemort directly, curbstomping his Inner Circle and using their respective Ancient Family Curses to completely annihilate the Dark Lord's existence, once and for all!

Note – That chapter description just now was a complete and utter lie.

See you next time, all! The more reviews I get, the more I will be inspired to update quickly, guaranteed!


	6. Ruminations in G Minor

**A/N: **Okay, before we begin the chapter, I'm going to include a long, vaguely encyclopedic Author's Note so that everyone's on board with what's going on in this story. If you're not interested in knowing talking about info concerning what's gone on thus far, feel free to skip ahead to the Chapter and (hopefully) enjoy it!

First, I'd like to discuss Peter's current ability level, and why he's as seemingly powerful as he is now. This recap will hopefully clear up some of the questions about the current state of things. Peter was able to become as fearsome of a duelist as he has in such a short time due to the following:

1. First and foremost, McGonagall misdiagnosed Peter's magical core as being pathetic – in truth, he was merely lacking the resolve and faith in himself to readily tap into it. He was basically in the same situation as when Spider-Man lost his abilities in Spider-Man 2 – because he fundamentally didn't believe he could do anything, he wasn't able to do anything at all. So, unbeknownst to him, his magical core had actually fully opened up to him once he began his furious mission to alter the future.

2. Most wizards and witches do not even know about the four pillars of the magical core. Peter is excelling at daily exercising each of them, which is basically supercharging his potency and ability to trump his opponents' spells in battle (especially due to the fact that it was originally significantly stronger than he'd realized). His body pillar (through the might of his magically altered body) and mind pillar (through his psychotically focused will to defeat Voldemort) are especially strong for a wizard.

3. Peter has been doing practically nothing but furiously studying the offensive arts for 6 months straight. He has read nearly every book in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library pertaining to DADA at this point, jotting down notes on anything that could potentially assist him. He'd then take those notes to Hagrid's hut and try them all out until he was capable of satisfactorily casting them. Most graduates or students of Hogwarts have never undergone a militaristic training schedule purely focused on gaining the ability to murder Death Eaters and a Dark Lord before, which partly explains the apparent power difference. Peter's abilities are built from the ground up through disciplined toil, turmoil, and focus.

4. As McGonagall mentioned (accurately, this time), Peter had only managed a surface-deep magical immersion by the start of Chapter 3. This was completely turned on its head during the Pettigrew Family Ritual – he has access to, and is constantly swimming in, the magical particles of his ancestors now.

5. Peter didn't realize it at the time, but he really has the potential to be an unnaturally powerful wizard in general – remember, as discussed in Prisoner of Azkaban, Peter's ability to decimate a Muggle town, making a crater forty feet (!) deep with the impact, completely destroying sewers a hundred feet below the surface (!), and simultaneously killing twelve muggles, all with one spell, was discussed as being incredibly powerful and making him extremely dangerous. Rowling seemed to forget about his having any such abilities in the subsequent books, but the point is, according to PoA's interpretation, Peter has an edge on other common wizards and witches already, for unknown reasons.

All these things combine to make him, at present in this story, a significantly ahead-of-the-grade wizard, though he is far less powerful than Voldemort or his top lieutenants at the moment. Note that, thus far, he's only wielded spells that are established in the HP canon, with the only exceptions being his family curse. I aim to avoid making Peter a Super!Peter – he's just well-informed and a potent duelist.

Also, some people are weirded out by the quick souring of the relationship between Peter and the Marauders. Here is what Rowling once said about Peter's relationship with the others and his potential:

"Pettigrew, who they, in a slightly patronizing way - James and Sirius at least - who they allowed to hang round with them, it turned out that he was a better wizard than they knew. Turned out he was better at hiding secrets than they knew." – J.K. Rowling, MuggleNet, July 16, 2005.

I take this to mean that Prongs and Padfoot enjoyed him being around them, similarly to one would a clumsy, suckup court jester. They clearly trusted him, as well, eventually choosing him as their secret keeper. Unfortunately for them, the Peter in my story is no longer going out of his way to try and foster a friendship with them by continually showering them with compliments and trying his hardest to win their affection through jokes and prank ideas, AND he's doing all kinds of crazy crap behind their backs.

In my story, Sirius is, beneath his purposefully silly playboy posturing, a sweetheart with an ego, so he really does miss Peter and want to pick up where they left off, though of course he'd like a demonstration of more committed friendship from him. (Remus and Lily both are still completely committed to being friends with Peter, by the way)

James, on the other hand, is basically a milder version of Draco Malfoy, who actually does have a sense of humor and is capable of deep, committed love and friendship, but is fundamentally arrogant, a bully, and an eager celebrity. I'm of the belief that James really IS like that in his fifth year at Hogwarts, from what we've glimpsed in canon. His elderly parents spoiled him from birth, Rowling said, so he's just a bit of a prick. He's Draco with a heart, really, except on the opposite side of the blood purity debate. I don't have anything against James, however, and I look forward to developing his character a lot over the course of the story, so please don't take my borderline antagonistic version of him as he is right now to be bashing. More than anything, he's just in a completely different place psychologically than Peter (or Remus, Lily, or Tessa) is at this point.

Next up, as I meant to do a long time ago, here is a list of all noteworthy characters and their ages and House membership. (Some are different than that of canon – I made it this way so we could have more interesting interpersonal relationships going on)

Gryffindor Fifth Years - The Marauders, Lily Evans, Alice Fenten

Gryffindor Fourth Year - Tessa Prewitt

Gryffindor Seventh Year - Gilderoy Lockhart

Ravenclaw Fifth Years - Xenophilius Lovegood, Elias Zabini (Blaise's Uncle)

Hufflepuff Fifth Years - Rita Skeeter, Amelia Bones

Slytherin Fourth Year - Narcissa Black

Slytherin Fifth Years – Severus Snape, Rosier, Wilkes

Slytherin Sixth Years - Bellatrix Black, Alecto Carrow, Rodolphus and Rastaban Lestrange

Lucius Malfoy and Molly Prewitt were in the same year as each other (in the Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses, respectively), and are four years older than Peter.

I think that's basically everyone!

I hope that this super-long author's note has been helpful (and hopefully interesting) to you in some way! Also, if you have any questions at all concerning what's happened in the story so far, absolutely feel free to message me (or include them in your review, of course). I guarantee I'll answer. :)

**Acknowledgements: **I'd like to offer my deep gratitude to NoxedSalvation, who beta'd this chapter and the next. I hope its length and lack of sanity haven't scared you off, Noxed! :) J.K. Rowling also wrote a tiny, little-known series of novels to which I may owe a spell or character or two.

Now, at long last – on to the story! :0

* * *

><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter 6 – Ruminations in G-Minor**

A heavy, awkward silence draped across the Malfoy grounds.

This night wasn't going at all how I'd planned it. I wanted to avoid the risk of even blowing my cover, after all. If Amycus hadn't been such a vicious person for practically no reason, then I wouldn't have been forced to hold a public execution…and his splattered organ bits wouldn't currently be dripping into my eyes.

At least I could hope that, given the attention drawn to this duel, the Dark Lord would hopefully decide not to attack tonight – there's no doubt that the media will be covering this, and he wouldn't want to share headline space with someone like me. Which reminds me…I really need to brace myself for some media questioning. I shivered in memory of my slim dealings with the media so far.

I cast a few cleaning charms on my robes and Abraxas, who noticeably flinched when I raised my wand at him. Feeling a bit lightheaded from the expense of magical energy (I must have really been at my limit), I nonetheless forced myself to stand steadily and confidently, and risked looking around the crowd to gauge their reaction to the duel.

The general feeling I was picking up from everyone was terror, much like that of Abraxas, although fortunately there was a detectable feeling of curiosity. Curiosity I can work with. But it's clear that people don't really know what to think, and are afraid, yet they're not running away. The middle-aged wizards from the press, of course, seem to be staring at me hungrily, like I'm a captured wild dragon.

As I continued rapidly looking around, I was able to pick out a few familiar faces. Tessa looked, contrary to my expectations, horrified – had I crossed a line with her somehow? Dammit…at this rate I'll really not have any friends.

James and Sirius looked shocked, like they'd just been informed they were pregnant or something; when I made eye contact with them, I tried to give a genuine smile, but James immediately answered with a glare. So much for that.

Rita looked nothing short of gleeful, which was somewhat disturbing to observe.

I looked for my mum, who had the Portkey back to our house, but I couldn't spot her, for some reason. Instead, my eyes fell upon the piercing gaze of Bellatrix Lestrange, much to my surprise. Apparently someone had been able to dispel the Comatone Curse I'd placed on her earlier. Her expression was hard to read, but she gave me a small smile when our eyes met.

The remaining Carrows were easy to spot – Alecto and her parents were the only people moving, likely seeking to rendezvous in order to Portkey out of there in order to run from the shame I'd brought upon them.

After that long moment of stillness, everyone seemed to simultaneously let out the breath they'd been holding in and begin loudly discussing amongst themselves in a steadily growing crescendo of…anger? Hysteria? I had no idea, but there definitely wasn't a positive vibe in the air.

I gulped, casting my eyes about once more for my mum. Where the hell was she? I hoped nothing had happened to her due to my actions.

The seemingly most upbeat people about the situation were the reporters, of course, who had finally made their way over to the base of the dueling platform.

"Peter Pettigrew!" I barely heard the closest woman yell up to me – she was blonde and wearing a white dress robe patterned with blue roses, which miraculously, she was able to pull off without looking utterly ridiculous. "Heliodelphia Lovegood at your service, from _The Quibbler!_" I nodded to her in greeting.

"And I'm Willow Warbley from _The Daily Prophet_!" said a much older witch with a beehive hairdo, grudgingly.

Yet another witch struggled through the crowd to greet me. "Wait, wait! Peter, I'm…"

I suddenly felt the skin on the back of my neck stand on end in warning, and quickly spun around and raised a shield charm. Unfortunately, shield charms don't work on physical objects like a broken bottle of firewhiskey, so I quickly ducked out of the way, barely catching it with a Levitation Charm before it damaged anyone in the crowd.

"Sorry about that! Why don't I make myself a more difficult target?" I proposed to the reporters, before turning to Abraxas, who was still floating close by, giving him a quick bow and saying, "Thank you very much for inviting my family to this festival, Your Lordship. The grounds are truly spectacular!" Not knowing what else to say, I quickly jumped off the platform before I did something to accidentally offend him. I realized as I did that I was feeling oddly dizzy and exhausted, in a way that even my endless practicing sessions hadn't made me. That Earthrending spell must have killed my magical reserves.

The three witches and several other scribes and cameramen swarmed around me, their eyes bugging out in excitement at landing an interesting story. I decided to make sure my answers were polite and sophisticated, always allowing a modicum of truth in my words so I could make each answer convincing – I'm still not a terribly good liar.

They began questioning me, but it was extremely difficult to hear, as the Festival's crowd was pulsing and chattering away at such a volume. I didn't want to cast a _Muffliato_, however, since I needed to keep an ear open just in case someone else tried to attack me.

"My apologies, but could you please speak up? And one at a time, please. Er…starting with you, Ms. Lovegood, as you were here first."

The other two witches looked very put out by my decision, but I couldn't really care less about their hurt feelings.

"Alright – Mr. Pettigrew, what can you tell us about the history between your family and the Carrows?" Heliodelphia asked, raising her voice over the volume of the crowd.

"That's a bit of a sticky question, I'm afraid. I'm not sure what I'm permitted to tell anyone at this time," I said honestly, hoping I didn't come across as being too naive.

"So you're saying that you're not in a position of power in this conflict?" Warbley asked.

"In matters of family politics and privacy, of course not. My father is the one that calls the shots, as is the case for most families. Er…he, unfortunately, was not able to attend the Festival this year, although I'm certain he'd be happy to take your questions should you set up an appointment with him."

Woohoo! So far, I think I'm managing to come off looking intelligent and stately; like a politician, I hope. I wish I felt as confident as I sounded, though...my vision was starting to noticeably wobble.

It was now the third witch's turn, so she shuffled her way closer in and said, "Hey, I didn't get to finish introducing myself earlier! My name's Aquamarine Lockhart," AH! Someone from Lockhart's family! No wonder she looked and acted so much less solemn than the other two. "I'm reporting for Witch Weekly. Er…I was wondering – do you have someone special in your life?"

I suppressed an eyeroll and adopted a playful grin. "I do not. I've never even been kissed, in fact."

Aquamarine gasped, quickly gesturing to her cameraman to get in close and continue taking pictures of me. I didn't want to squint from the blaring camera flashes (the other two papers had brought cameramen as well) and risk showing any sign of weakness, so I turned my head and looked to where I hoped Heliodelphia Lovegood was still standing.

"What can you tell us about that spell you were employing tonight?" she asked.

"The one with all the spikes?" I grinned. "Unfortunately, I can't disclose much about that spell, either, for security purposes. However, I can assure you that I did not use any Dark Magic tonight, unlike my opponent. Though I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, of course."

"Too late!" Heliodelphia informed me with a slightly derisive laugh.

It was the crone from the Prophet's turn now. "Which side are you aligned with, Mr. Pettigrew: the Dark Lord's or the Ministry's?"

I smirked. "I can't comment, except to say that there are more sides than merely those two."

"So, Peter – what's your favorite pastime?" Lockhart.

"Er…dueling, I suppose," I chuckled. "I dunno if that counts as a pastime, though. I admit, however, that I enjoy watching a good game of Quidditch, and, er, exploring haunted mansions, and, you know, searching for obscure magical texts. Nothing too romantic, I'm afraid."

She winked at me. "We'll see!" I shivered a little.

Lovegood now. "Peter, why did you decide to kill Carrow in the duel? Did the two of you declare it a duel to the death, or was there some other reason?"

"Indeed! Why would you risk facing criminal charges to see him dead?" Warbley demanded.

I honestly had no earthly idea why I killed him. He may have been a Death Eater, but I never planned to kill him beforehand, really. All I know is that, after he shot all those curses at me, I suddenly wanted to rip him apart…to bathe in his blood. I needed to feel his life spill from his worthless body.

"Er…well, to be completely honest, I didn't really mean to kill him," I lied, "I'd never even tried out that particular curse I used until just now. I knew from my research that it would be powerful, but I didn't know exactly what effect it would have on my opponent. My main goal tonight was to restore and uphold my family's honor. Amycus's death was an unfortunate side effect that I hadn't anticipated."

"Yet you seemed…pleased when he died," Warbley said, admirably masking her fear.

"Of course I was. I'd won the duel, and it was against a more experienced wizard who had just publicly insulted my family several times this evening. If I seemed pleased, it was due to victory, not for any other reason." Man…these questions are really beginning to push my current energy capacity to the limit…

"Peter, do you prefer younger or older girls? And are you currently seeking someone to marry once you come of age?" Lockhart asked excitedly. I don't think she was even remotely paying attention to what the other two were asking me. However, this was really the first question of hers which I needed to make certain I answered carefully.

"Hmm…I don't suppose I really have a preference for age, as long as she's not significantly removed from my own in either direction. As for your other question, I…suppose…I'm tentatively looking for a partner at present, although I only decided to do so a few days ago." I hoped that sounded vaguely polite – it wouldn't do to bring the Carrows any further insult from my actions and words. I didn't want to sound too desperate, either, which wouldn't fit the new image I was trying to convey.

"Do you have any goals that you're currently pursuing in life, Mister Pettigrew?"

"Honestly, I'm just hoping to get through this war with my family and closest friends still alive. I currently don't have any other great aspirations beyond that," I told Lovegood. That was basically the truth.

"Do you have any tips for wizards on matching your ability?"

"Er, yes…um, let's see…"

As I frantically began preparing a mental list for the press, I noticed a very nervous-looking, but oh-so-cute Molly Prewitt dash towards me. I made room for her inside the circle of reporters while the cameras began rapid-shooting.

"H-hi, Peter!" she said, her face very red, before turning to the onslaught of flashing light. "Um…Peter has requested sanctuary at the Prewitt Overlook if something unexpected were to happen."

I didn't remember ever saying anything like that, so I was instantly suspicious. I wouldn't have had any problem with visiting the Prewitts' home, but this could have been a spy for the Dark Lord under Polyjuice! I didn't want to make a scene or look wary, though, in case it was Molly, so I just smiled at her sunnily and remained quiet.

"And, since I'm fairly certain that this, er, night qualifies as 'unexpected,'" she turned to me, brushing a lock of gorgeous red hair from her golden eyes. "You're welcome to apparate back with me, if you wish."

I didn't know how much longer I could take all this insanity, and my mum was NOWHERE to be seen, so it did seem like a viable option. Granted, I was completely uncertain as to why "Molly" was doing this – if it really was her, then she was probably unwilling to share her true purpose in front of the media. On the other hand, she could've been taking me straight into a trap, if it wasn't her.

Bleh.

However, turning her down in front of all these cameras, regardless of her true identity, would certainly cause a rift between our two families as far as the public's concerned, and possibly even ignite a feud! I couldn't have that.

"Certainly, Molly! Thank you so much for coming to find me!" I grinned, clapping her on the shoulder twice to comfort her, as she looked faintly scared of me.

The reporters immediately jumped in.

"Is there an alliance between your families?"

"I thought you said you were single!"

"Why would you ask for Sanctuary? From whom?"

"Do you share a room together?"

I didn't bother answering any of them and just looked seriously at Molly. "As soon as possible would be amazing, if you don't mind." Even if she is a Death Eater, I'm fairly confident that I could escape from a trap, through the use of my Animagus form and the various new spells at my disposal.

Molly nodded twice, took both of my hands in her dainty ones, pulled me in close to her (with her legendary breasts squeezing against my chest in the process), and tightly spun us around on the spot.

* * *

><p>(<em>Prewitt Overlook - Patio<em>)

A few seconds of nauseatingly warped travel later, Molly and I arrived at…somewhere. We were apparently in some type of sunroom, with an entire wall missing, looking out over what appeared to be an enormous ravine. The room itself contained very little colour that wasn't earth-tone; all throw rugs, furniture, and even paintings seemed to be varying shades of brown.

At any rate, it didn't look like a trap to me. Unless she was planning on pushing me off the cliff. Therefore, I assumed that it was indeed Molly, and that I was, in fact, at the Prewitt Overlook.

Now I need to find out why.

"Er, so…hi there," I said, stepping away from her sinfully desirable body with regret.

Molly smiled. "Welcome to our family home, Peter! You're doubtlessly wondering why I've brought you here!"

"That would indeed be the case," I said, blushing. Man, it is REALLY tough for me to keep my mind out of the gutter when I'm around her. I can't help but desire her body pressed up against me…and I'd been doing exactly that less than ten seconds ago.

"Well, first of all, I figured you needed a bit of a hand getting away from those reporters, so I spun that sanctuary story on the spot!" she said with a grin. "I know you're not much of a people person."

"Wow, that was…very considerate of you," I said. "I had very nearly reached my limit."

"I hope I didn't cause too much trouble for you, though," she said hesitantly. "Now everyone's going to think our families are allied or something."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, there are few families I'd rather be allied with more than you lot," I said with complete sincerity. The Prewitts are not only my friends but are also traditionally neutrally aligned, with just a slight tendency toward the dark. No matter what my plans end up being concerning the Dark Lord, they would be a very logical strategic ally.

"Awww! Thank you, Peter! You're such a darling," Molly said, coming forth and squeezing me in a tight hug.

Thanks, Merlin! I owe you one, buddy!

"So…was there another reason you wanted me to come here?" I asked, savoring the feel of her soft, unbelievable body against mine until she eventually pulled away.

"Yes – I have something important to discuss with you in private, and I didn't know when I'd get another chance."

"Ah, I see. So, is Tessa…not here?"

"I assume she's upstairs already; the four of us returned together, but I came back for you on my own."

Wow! I feel…valued. What a strange feeling. Dammit, now I want to hug her again. Those breasts should be illegal! "O-oh yeah? I was wondering why I didn't see them – your brothers – at the Festival."

She shrugged. "I have no idea! Probably off doing some undercover Auror work or whatever else they choose not to tell me about. I have a very secretive family."

"I see. Well…should I go introduce myself to them, since I'm staying in their home?" I asked with a wince. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be around Aurors so soon after I'd publicly murdered Carrow, even though I could use dueling as an excuse. The Court was hopelessly corrupt, and seemed to go either way on whether murder in the duel ring constituted a crime.

"I'd…wait, until I've had a chance to explain the situation to them. They might not, er, take a liking to you right away," she said with a cute smile.

"Speaking of which…you're being…awfully trusting by being alone with me after seeing what I did to Carrow back there."

"Oh? Should I be wary of you?" she asked, looking wholly unthreatened by me.

"Of course not. I'd never do anything to harm either you or Tessa," I said, quite honestly.

"I know you wouldn't – I trust Tessa, and she has complete trust in you. Besides, if you DID experience a moral lapse and do something to me, do you know how hurt Tessa would be?"

"Aw, I'm sure she'd get over it!" I said with a chuckle.

"Hi-ya!" Molly cried, landing a completely unexpected karate chop on my skull. There was a good deal of force behind it, too.

"Wh-what the?" I asked in bewilderment, holding my now-throbbing head.

"Wrong answer, Peter," she said, smirking at me. "You need to always keep Tessa's best interests at heart!"

"H-h-hey now, I'm trying my best!" I said, blushing and walking over to the missing wall in the room, which was wide open, displaying the enormous chasm. "WHOA! This is an incredible sight!" I gasped, looking over the ledge. I had never heard of such a deep ravine before. It was dark out, and I couldn't see the bottom, but I could see many flocks of strange neon pink birds throughout the pit, the moonlight glinting off their wings. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Well, I can't tell you our geographic location," Molly said, coming up alongside me and peering into the deep. "That's a secret. But our house is built into the side of the cliff, hanging over the vast nothingness below. Obviously." She smirked at me. "I'm not a big fan of heights, though, so I typically prefer avoiding these viewing rooms. I actually like pretending that our house is really on the ground, that this sight is just a beautifully-designed enchantment."

"I can sort of get what you mean; I'd absolutely not want to be near the ledge on a windy day. So, shall we…talk on the couch, then?"

"You've wanted to ask me that for a while now, haven't you? But I'll share it with you just this once, if only to get away from this pit of doom!" Molly grinned, leading the way back to a sepia couch.

I stared at her arse the entire way as one would admire a beautiful art painting. How did she get it to be SO beautiful? The size and shape are JUST right, the way it moves is so expressively hypnotic…

DAMN, I need a girlfriend.

We sat down next to each other and she clasped her hands over her crossed legs and continued, "Anyway, I spent a long time warding this room with various privacy charms before I returned to the party to fetch you. Your duel was just ending when I arrived, and you were SO impressive! I can't even imagine how much a spell like that must have drained your body's supply of magical energy."

"Yeah, I figured. I feel like I'm barely able to stay awake right now," I said, leaning back and sinking into the comfortable couch.

"Aww, I'm sorry," she said, gently massaging my shoulder. "I'll let you pass out really soon, I promise!"

"Take your time! It's the least I can do."

"Heh, you're sweet," she said, turning her rather snoggable face to me and giving me a gentle smile. "I'm not exactly sure how much to tell you…or how to start."

I turned my head to her and waited patiently.

She slowly began. "Okay! Um…Tessa has been, er…a little lonely since I graduated from Hogwarts two years ago. Oh! This talk is about her, by the way."

"Ah, alright…er…do you think she'd be okay with you telling me whatever you're about to say?" I'd noticed that Tessa was incredibly secretive (not to mention people-shy, though you wouldn't know it from the way she verbally jousts with me, so it's most likely that she's evading them for a reason other than shyness) and I didn't want to betray her somehow by hearing her dirty secrets. I was very curious, however.

Molly cocked her head and grew serious. "I'm counting on you never mentioning this conversation to anyone, especially her. And, I promise, telling you these things will be in her best interest in the long run, whether she wants to admit it or not."

"Okay…" I said, thinking it over a moment. "I won't tell a soul. I promise."

"Great!" she beamed. "Okay, so, she met you this semester, and has really, really enjoyed your friendship and company."

My heart fluttered a little, despite my embarrassment. That strange new feeling of being valued found its way to my smile. "That's sweet of her to say. I've enjoyed her company quite a bit as well."

"Aww! I'm sure she'd be very touched to hear you say that. Anyway, I'm only telling you what I'm about to tell you because, as far as my brothers and I can tell, you're Tessa's only friend at the moment. You're the only person she ever mentions whenever we ask about her classmates."

I nodded, brows knotting in concern. "I was kind of worried that she had a shortage of friends…and I suspected that she didn't really ever talk to anyone else."

"I'm not surprised," Molly said with a sigh, twirling a gorgeous lock of hair around her finger. "Anyway, since you're her best friend, there are a few things you need to know about her. And you'd better not abandon her after you hear what I'm about to say, or so help me, I will make you suffer!"

"You can make me suffer any time!" I said with a seductive wink, receiving another chop to the cranium as a result. "OW! Merlin's balls, Molly! Stop doing that."

"Oh? But I thought you wanted me to make you suffer," she said, returning my wink now that she'd punished me appropriately.

"I was joking," I muttered. I'm going to get a concussion or something here. "But okay, okay, I won't abandon her, no matter what I hear from you." Not like I had much of a choice by this point.

"Alright, listen – Tessa has…how do I put this…well, I guess you could say that Tessa has a lot of secrets…and, not to sound mean or anything, but she has many problems that stem from those secrets."

"Alright, er…what…kinds of problems?"

Molly averted her eyes. "Some are harmless, of course. She hasn't always been as eccentric as she is now, but her new, odd habits aren't hurting anyone. A certain few of her problems, however, are the kind that mean you should exercise caution when spending time with her."

Huh? "Like…exercising caution in what I say to her, so I won't hurt her in a way that's dangerous for her fragile sanity?" I asked, recalling the near-meltdown she had when I merely told her I that thought she looked cute.

"Well, obviously you should do your best to be nice to her," Molly said with a nervous laugh, "but in this case I mean that you should probably…be ready to…um…defend yourself…if you're alone with her."

I stared at her in surprise. What the hell? I didn't really know if I believed her, seeing as I'd been alone with Tessa several times in the library this semester. Molly seemed very serious and uncomfortable, though, so I wasn't sure what to think.

I couldn't imagine needing to defend myself from the quirky girl I'd spent so much time joking with. She'd become one of the few remaining people I could trust at all, along with Remus and Lily. Would she…was she even capable of...betraying my trust and stabbing me in the back like Molly seemed to be implying?!

"…I feel really guilty now for telling you this," Molly said, distraught. My facial expression must have given away how upset I was feeling.

"N-n-no, please don't mind me, I'm just trying to figure this out! Um…I've been alone with her, like…at least a dozen times this semester, and absolutely NOTHING'S happened."

Molly nodded with a small smile. "Good. She must value your friendship a lot."

"If she does value our friendship as much as you seem to think…then why on earth would she ever attack me?" I asked in total confusion. "Does she, like, have a split personality or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that…but she IS very complicated…" Molly folded her arms in frustration. "I don't really want to betray her trust by telling you any other details."

"You can't just leave me hanging like that…" I said, folding my arms back at her.

"Peter, I understand that this must be frustrating for you, but I'm positive that she'll tell you on her own time, so I have to respect that. In the meantime, all you need to do is be there for her, support her, comfort her, and always have your wand at the ready. Judging by your performance at the Festival today, I doubt you'll have any trouble stopping her if she tries anything."

I stared at her, wide-eyed. This was an incredibly strange puzzle. "Er…probably…"

Molly sighed and pulled her hair. "The reason she's so, you know, avoidant of others is actually more for their protection than it is for hers."

My mouth formed an "O" shape. I hadn't thought of that. She seemed to be implying that I'd happened to make friends with a girl who is somehow accidentally but significantly dangerous. I can't picture what that would look like, but I'm…

Wait…

"Is she fully human?" I asked, thinking of Lupin's furry little problem.

Molly laughed. "Yes! What kind of a question is that?"

Huh…well, there goes that theory.

"I'm just trying to understand what you're talking about," I said with a broad shrug. "So…should I take this conversation to mean that…other people actually HAVE been attacked by her in the past?"

"Peter…that's very personal information…" Molly said, looking down and rubbing her legs.

It's tough to interpret that as meaning anything other than "Yes, Tessa has done some horrible things to someone, or to more than one someone, in the past."

"Oh, and another thing," Molly said, looking at me and smiling just a little. "I'm obliged, as her cousin, to demand that you don't take advantage of her."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm not sure what, exactly, you think my morals are like, but I'd never rape someone, ever! Especially not Tessa!"

"Hey!" Molly said, karate chopping my skull again, this time splitting my skin a little. "You can't say things like that, Peter! That's mean!"

"Wh-what'd I say again?" I mumbled with a wince, vanishing the blood off my forehead.

"You shouldn't say 'Especially not Tessa!' Girls are very sensitive, and she would be very hurt to hear you say something like that."

"But I just meant that, as a friend who trusts me, she'd be the last person I'd ever betray by raping them!"

"Then say THAT! Your original sentence was misleading." She coughed and shook her head. I didn't really understand how someone could be offended by NOT wanting to be raped, but whatever. "Anyway, not just rape, Peter – even if she begs you to make love to her, please exercise discretion."

"Er…wait, what?" I blushed. Dammit…where'd this erection come from? I quickly crossed my legs to try and hide it.

"Don't have sex with her, alright? I'd never forgive you."

"But look, where's the harm in…I mean, I know she's your cousin and all, but, if she's requesting it…"

"Peter Pettigrew, do NOT have sex with my cousin!" Molly suddenly yelled, rising to her feet and glaring at me in warning. "She will NOT be able to handle it. Period. Understand?"

"Yes," I said in a meek voice. That was…a VERY strong reaction. I couldn't imagine what harm sex could have in a loving, caring relationship…well…I mean, obviously there are several things that can go wrong as a result of sex, but…surely nothing could go THAT wrong!

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"Say it."

"I promise."

Molly and I held eye contact for a few seconds before she relaxed and sat back down with a smile. "Okay, sorry about that. Now, just make sure you give your best effort to always be there for her, and to always take good care of her. Go out and do something fun! Tessa has a problem with denying herself anything she wants, so it's up to you to help her experience life!"

"I will," I said, somewhat unnerved. What exactly am I getting roped into here? I'm so confused. "I'll do all I can to protect her and be someone she can rely on and have fun with, I promise."

"Great," Molly said, rubbing my shoulders. "I'm, er…really sorry about chopping you and, um, shouting at you."

"It's alright. I can take a lot of abuse," I said with a bitter smile.

She grinned. "You're a really sweet kid, Peter. I can see why she likes you…as a friend! As a friend, I mean," she said very quickly. Suspiciously quickly, in fact.

"Er…I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me, you know," I said. "She's reacted pretty badly anytime I say something that could be interpreted as being romantic."

Molly grinned. "You're right. I'm sure that's how it is."

"That IS how it is."

"You kind of seem to like arguing for no reason, you know that?"

"Sorry…it just kind of happens when you're friends with Sirius Black and Tessa Prewitt," I said, scratching the back of my head.

Molly chuckled. "Ahh…Sirius Black…that name brings back some memories!"

"Huh? Wh-what kind of significant memories could you possibly have of him? You're four years older!"

"Shhh…calm down, it's nothing you need to worry about," Molly said in a soothing voice. "I'll tell you when you're older."

"…WHAT?!"

She chuckled at my reaction and walked out saying, "I'm sure everyone else is asleep by now, so we can just meet over breakfast in the morning. This is where you'll be sleeping tonight, and the bathroom's the second door to your right."

"Er…do you have any, um…sleepwear I can change into?"

Molly gasped. "You want to wear my sleepwear? Oh, you are such a deviant!"

I sighed. These Prewitt girls certainly take a toll on your will to continue living.

"Sorry, I forgot you're sleepy. I'll get you something, don't worry," she said walking away.

I flopped down on the couch when the door closed, making sure to put my face right where her butt had been.

"Ahhh…Mollybutt!" I sighed in happiness. "Still warm…"

Before long, however, I became aware that I still smelled quite sweaty and bloody…to the point that it was distracting. Molly popped in briefly and gave me a pair of rather tight, feminine sleeping shorts, and, as I had nothing else to wear except my dress robe (which I wasn't wearing anything under), I gave in and slipped them on.

I stretched afterwards, catching a whiff of my underarms…which was decidedly less than pleasant.

"A shower it is, then," I muttered. Hopefully I can jump in and jump out without waking the others up.

* * *

><p><em>Tessa's Point of View<em>

_(First Floor Bathroom)_

It was a blast, being his friend. He was the sole lifeline I had in my bloodied, haunted existence.

I stood in the bathroom, staring blankly at the unrecognizable face in the mirror. I exhaled painfully, continuing my nightly ritual of peeling skin off my body.

Other days doing this, I'd tell myself it was for Peter. I'd rip all the scaly, diseased skin off, just for him. This semester had been different. I'd been satisfied. Fuck, I was actually happy to be alive. I was enjoying myself. I didn't even let my past or my baser impulses get to me! With Peter's help, I was free. He just saw me as a friend, but who gives a crap! I could see his eyes light up whenever he saw me. And that made me alive; happy.

I gritted my teeth in anger, digging yellowed nails into my flesh, drawing blood. Tantalizing pinpricks of punishment for giving in to the urge to hope. What kind of right did I have to hope for something more? How could I be so stupid?

I shivered. I didn't have much volume to my body anymore, so any cold I ever encountered cut right to my bones.

I shook my head and opened the cabinet, my grotesque boutique greeting my eyes. People don't realize it, but I take a lot of time on my misappearance. Sure, I don't shower, but I want to look decidedly unattractive, not just slovenly. I daily apply mud and slime to my face, with a delicate enough touch to look precisely accidental. Like I am insane, and haven't bathed forever. Of course, both are likely true, but I need to make sure people know. I'm not ruining myself for me…I'm ruining myself for them.

But not for just any of them, in particular. I don't like people in general. Everyone's better than me, and they don't even have to TRY. I'm a degenerate, and will continue degenerating forever. So I honestly don't really care about them. If one of them notices me, and it leads to me killing them, then that's pretty much their fault. It'd be a shame, and I'd grieve for them, but how can you ignore THIS many warning signs?

No. the only person I really grime myself up for is Peter Pettigrew. That boy has been my fantasy of a realistically feasible love for a couple years now. We'd always both been outcasts, trying and failing to please those important to us. What really sold me on him was the way he acted around his crush, Alice Fenten, all those years. Everyone gets crushes, but he was so earnest about it, I couldn't help but privately root for him from the sidelines. I slowly recognized his adoration for her as exactly what I'm looking for – PURE love, without selfish desires polluting it at all. That's what I need. And he had it.

After seeing my end goal so close within my reach, yet still so unattainable for a shy girl like me, I did the only thing I could do without experiencing that chill of complete denial – I began masturbating about him every once in a while, stealing small belongings of his whenever I could and pressing them against my hideous body until I'd orgasm. I'd imagine myself with him because he was my only feasible escape from this suffering, and, thus, my only realistic lover. But I never dared to hope.

After Alice was moronic enough to reject Peter, my desire for him surged far beyond my ability to control. I HAD to stop myself from going after him, so I had no choice but to masturbate as long as I could each night so I'd be able to reign in my curse-derived bodily need whenever I was around him.

I never imagined that I'd actually speak to him outside my head…but such was the case that day he dragged his lovably pudgy, sweaty self into the Great Hall and saw fit to strike up a conversation with me. I couldn't believe my good fortune! I quickly realized that the only thing I could do was to show him as pure a window into my true personality as I could.

It was tough, at first, and I'd sometimes run away from him for weeks straight. But I slowly began to get addicted to the intoxicating feeling he gave me just by being with me, teasing me, and studying with me. He made me feel special for the first time in a long time – he was the ONLY student who acknowledged my existence in the entire school! It was incredible! He seemed to really, truly enjoy being around me! He would come up and greet me just as often as I'd come up and greet him! It seemed so promising! I was eventually able to stop masturbating so much and just suppress my dark side by drinking up all the feelings of worth he gave me.

But something had changed in him after the Alice debacle. I slowly began picking up signs that he was, somehow, no longer the pure, selfless Peter I'd fallen love with two years ago…the Peter I needed to further my plans. He started acting cold, calculating, oddly obsessive, and he lost that glimmer in his eyes completely. I certainly enjoyed checking him out after his body became so incredibly sexy…like, SCARY sexy…but I couldn't help but think of it as just one more way he was slipping away from me…putting up yet another layer between him and his old self.

Still, I loved him, and, thus, tried to justify the growing dissonance between my needs and the reality of who Peter was becoming…but then came his admission that he thought I was CUTE?! After all this work…how COULD he?! How did he not get the message?

Things had gotten tremendously off-track somehow. Then, tonight, his borderline psychotic episode on the stage shocked me, badly – I had once regarded Peter as the only guy sweet and conscientious enough for my needs, but reality tied me up and kicked me in the face. I very much doubted, now, that Peter would even be bothered by his killing of Amycus, except for whatever inconvenience it might cause in his own plans. I, on the other hand, was downright torn apart by my first murders. I would spend weeks in closets, not eating or drinking a thing, just rocking back and forth and apologizing to the echoes of their departed souls.

Peter was precisely the opposite of what I needed, I realized tonight. The innermost self he finally displayed turned out to be a hollow husk, knowing nothing but complete disregard for other people's lives.

In fact, the face he wore during battle was nightmarishly familiar – it's the same one I'd see on myself in the mirror after my murders. That chilling, horrible face…why was it on MY Peter? That particularly dissonant brand of anti-glee that can only be found on those souls huddled in the darkness, in the throes of despair so great, churning back and forth, back and forth, until they can beat away the pain of their existence by laughing as hard and as hollowly as I can. That's me. And that's Peter's innermost soul, too, I just found out. In a different world, if I didn't have this curse, we'd be perfect for one another.

Several loud clunks resounded throughout the house, making me jump in place, hands covering my mouth to contain my shriek. One of my cousins must have stumbled about, looking for a midnight snack or something. Frowning, I turned on the water and washed my diseased face. The water felt so great…finally getting clean…it was so worth it! How messed up IS Peter to think I'm cute when there's this much physically wrong with me? How is that even vaguely possible?

I shuddered with tears. All this time…all this hope…it was all misguided. Useless. What point did I even have to go back to school, now? I COULD try and find another pure soul to place my hopes in, but, clearly, I'm not a very good judge of character, so they'd probably wind up dead, just like the others. And if I did go back, I'd have to face Peter again, turn away his friendship, and go back into complete hiding. I didn't think I could survive hurting him like that…seeing him get sad from my actions would hurt me so much I don't even think I could handle it!

"I want to die," I gasped, shuddering and letting my greasy hair fall over my face. That may truly be my only remaining option. It was the only thing to do, all because of that stupid, stupid, STUPID curse! I'm unable to cope with such a source of grief and torture in my body any longer!

I'd once aspired to be a wizarding photographer. Ever since I was a little girl, the intricate magic beyond moving photographs fascinated me. I'd developed a mild obsession over photographs, one that my mum fostered.

My idyllic life didn't last long, though; soon after my first victim, the true, unquenchable nature of my curse awakened. Ever since then, I've been adrift, lost…with no way out of the hopelessness. After my second murder, I got even worse. The resulting grief and dissociation I experienced was so heavy that I was no longer able to muster up excitement or hope for ANY future, let alone follow my dreams. Not without a partner, anyway. Someone who could help carry the weight of my pain. Without such a person, this world is intolerable.

Fortunately, the Prewitt family had a few ancient texts in its library, which contained several long-forgotten spells – one of which was a painless suicide spell. Normally, I'd always argue against suicide, but I think, if anyone deserves it, I do. It's better that I smother my own existence rather than kill even more innocents.

I heaved my shoulders and planted a decidedly sanity-challenged look on my skeletal face. Time to make a bucket list.

Before I could start planning my parting moments, however, a series of heavy steps sounded outside the bathroom door. I don't know who it was, but they were about to come in!

I didn't want my family to see me like this. I was sick and tired of them worrying about me all the time. Sniffing, I cleared my throat and dunked my head under the water, furiously scrubbing the rest of the dead skin off my face. I didn't have enough time to hide the puffiness of my eyes or the fresh gashes, but I'd just have to hope for the best.

The door opened. I sniffled, wiped the sink water from my eyes, and uttered a phlegmy, but friendly, "Good morning! Guess I'm not the only early-WH-WH-WHAT?! PETER?!"

What…the actual fuck?

"Shh! Not so loud! No one knows I'm here!" he ordered, closing the door softly behind him, tortured blue eyes shifting around as usual. Zeus's slutty sister! Peter Pettigrew is sexy! I mean…damn! And how the hell was he even able to FIT into those shorts?! And shirtless, too? I never seen this much male nudity in my life – and I've seen a man stark naked before. My brain isn't even working anymore. How can I possibly not rape him now?!

Dammit…I'm completely and totally stumped for things to say. Think, Tessa, think! And, no, you are not allowed to offer to rock him like a hurricane.

"So," he said, averting his eyes. "This is…my first time seeing you in something as ladylike as as lingerie. You almost look – dare I say it –female."

Oh crap! In my utter shock I'd completely forgotten that I was in merely my bra and knickers. I squeaked and slapped a towel over myself.

"Well then," I said, in a horribly unhealthy-sounding rendition of my teasing voice, "what'd you think of your first visual female sampling, hm?"

"You know what? I liked them. You are the most deranged, hyper, masculine, rebellious, idiotic person I know, Tessa. And somehow, someway…your breasts have survived. I literally cannot believe they haven't fallen off yet. And that impresses me." He winked, sending a shiver up my spine. "And you know what else?"

"What?"

"There's no one I'd rather have as my first than you!" he said, looking far too egotistic to keep on talking unopposed. He was clearly joking around, but my whole body was blushing, now, by this point. My heart was hammering, and I was very much aware that both of us were ONLY clothed in tight, thin, cotton below. I was barely reigning in my urge to slam him to the floor and mount him.

"Psh, if you're going to lie, be somewhat less obvious, Pete. I've seen the way you keep looking at my cousin's frontal hitchhikers."

Acting unfazed, but blushing quite intensely, the man I'd fantasized about every night this year closed the distance between us and held my chin in his palm. I gaped at him and allowed myself to fall into my deep desire for him, despite my weak ego's desperate bids for attention.

"But, er…I'm not best friends with your cousin, am I? You're the one who means something to me, so that makes your hitchhikers even more fantastic," he told me with a barely suppressed snicker.

My mouth dried out considerably. "Thank you, Peter. That means so much to me," I said, staring transfixedly at his eyes. Wow…I never thought I'd actually have my fantasy guy IN my bathroom with me. This is unreal!

Suddenly, thoughts of suicide were the furthest thing from my mind. I was, however, about ready to pass out from the sudden rush of anxiety. Of all the things I'd expected to deal with for the rest of the break…PETER wasn't one of them. My mind whirled uncontrollably with worries and desires. What do I do? What CAN I do? Dammit…if he doesn't get out of here soon, I'll probably end up doing the unthinkable…

"So, uh…why are you here, anyway?" I said, backing away.

"Well…I, er, came in to take a shower," he began.

"Together?" I joked, much to my horror. I truly have NO control over my tongue. A shower between the two of us would surely end in his mutilation and death. I'm so out of control…but I can't tell him to leave…I can see…everything…those freakishly huge, rippling muscles are making my weak control over my mind explode.

He chuckled, sending chills of desire down my spine – dear fucking Merlin, how I love the sound of his gentle, warm laugh – and said, "Although I'm sure that would be lovely - nigh unforgettable - I doubt that very much cleaning would occur. And I NEED it."

"Not half as badly as I need it," I muttered.

"Oh, really? I'll take that bet!" he leered. "Shall we have a contest to see who's the more foul-smelling, between us?"

"I think we shall!" I sang, leaping forward and wrapping my legs around his rock-solid waist, smothering his nose in my underarm. I suddenly realized, however, just how almost-nude we both were, and, when I had an unbidden burst of hungry pleasure erupt through my body, I leapt off him as fast as I could.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad, but I daresay it's not much worse than you usually smell," he said with a wink.

My body went numb. Even that wink…no…I was about to lose it…he had to leave. NOW. What was I even doing?! Hadn't I JUST been telling myself that I needed to distance myself from him, for good? It was a miracle I'd still been able to rein in my instincts this long. The problem is…I want him SO bad, I don't even think I could convincingly ask him to leave, now. What do I do? I could wordlessly jump in the shower. I don't trust myself to take off my undergarments around him, though.

"Alright, my turn!" he sang, walking forward, grabbing the back of my head, and thrusting my nose under his arm. I chuckled a little, relieved at how vomit-inducingly rancid he smelled – it halted my runaway arousal a little.

"So, how's that?" he asked when he pulled away.

"Hmm…I do believe I still smell worse."

"That, my good lady, is a bowl full of shit."

"Not in the least, honestly," I said, sticking my chin up in the air. "I smell much worse than you in other places, after all."

He grinned, though blushing quite attractively. "Oh, I thought I smelled something like the sea! That explains it. In that case, I'd better leave to your womanly duties, Captain!"

"And how womanly they are," I said, panting ever-so-slightly. "I, um…I don't mind if you stay…" What. The. FUCK AM I SAYING?! This is really, really bad. My curse is starting to take over. Please leave, Peter! "…and…you can help…if you want to…" Uh-oh. Um…please be gay, Peter?

"Er…I don't…" he said, backing up. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Yes! Yes! I just have to take that idea and run with it…C'mon…I can beat you, instinct! "Just…just…" I said slowly, with great effort, "get the fuck out of here, right now!"

"What? But you just said…and then I said I wasn't going to, already! You don't need to…"

"Get out! Now! And don't come back!" I screamed, shaking with relief that I was able to break through the curse.

Looking quite disturbed, Peter hurriedly leapt out, closing the door behind him. "G-goodnight," he said shyly, from the other side.

I didn't answer, but sat on the toilet, desperate for the tears to come. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" I mouthed, slicing my nails through the skin on my thighs in punishment.

I can feel my mind slipping away…with nothing remaining but revulsion for myself. I wish I had the willpower to bear this agony without turning to arousal and using others – innocent others who deserve much, much better than me. But I don't. It'll be better for everyone if I just disappear. I'm nothing but a pain, an irritation, a degenerate, a burden, a rapist, and a murderer.

That's why I hate people. Their unforgiveable sin is that they're all so much fucking better than me. Except for Peter. He's always been and will always be just as shitty a person as I am.

And that's why I love him.

* * *

><p><em>Peter's Point of View<em>

Well, that was…completely unsettling. Both her sudden apparent arousal and her sudden rejection. Granted, meeting one-on-one in only our underwear is not usually the best way to have a conversation with even a normal person, and Tessa is considerably less than normal. However, she's never acted anything like this before…and I just promised Molly that I'd take care of Tessa, through thick and thin. Suddenly, that's not looking like so easy anymore.

I still have no idea what to make of her bizarre revelations about Tessa, so I feel that I'm basically clueless about the best way to deal with her. I don't know if more information WOULD help, but…all I know is I won't give up. She's one of my only friends, and Molly's counting on me. I'll figure out some way to work things out between us.

At any rate, I suppose a shower can wait till morning.

After I got back to the guest room, I realized that I had not a single drop of Draught of Dreamless Sleep on my person. Dammit. I've been relying that for a long time to get through my nights without feeling the need to gouge out my eyes from recalling those visions.

I grimaced, shivering from the cool air blowing in from the gaping hole in the room, and lay down on the couch, pulling the wool blanket tight around me.

Well…it was true that I was still basically depleted of all energy from the draining spell I'd casted tonight. Perhaps I'll just collapse and be too exhausted to dream.

After a few minutes running Molly's various warnings and recommendations through my head, I gradually drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

The peaceful aspect didn't last long.

* * *

><p>I slowly became aware that I was in an elongated version of the Gryffindor Common Room, containing a large banquet table. An unusual assortment of witches and wizards was seated there; the Marauders (including an older version of me), Lily, Tessa, Snape, Bellatrix, and the white haired girl from my dreams were all chatting jovially amongst themselves. All were dressed in black, with leather armor and capes.<p>

"Er, h-hey, everyone! What's going on?" I asked, but no one seemed to take note of me.

I was aware that I was dreaming…so…was it really a dream? Normally I'd wake up when I realized something was up.

Not so today, though, it seemed. The older Peter made eye contact with me, grinned, and stood up, walking around the table to where I was. "Peter! Peeee-heh-heh-eeeeeter! How've you been?"

Something about this dude was creepy, but I shook his outstretched hand nonetheless. "Er…I'm alright."

"More than alright, I'd say!" he said, gesturing broadly. "Didn't you just escort Amycus Carrow from the mortal realm?"

"Y-yeah, I did," I said nervously.

"Way to go, mate. Way to go. You're really changing the future, huh?"

"It, er, sure seems that way, um…my other self."

He winked at me. "So you killed Amycus for your visions, huh? Making the future a better place?"

"W-well…he wasn't in my visions, but…I mean, he was a Death Eater and…"

"So, what you're saying is, you really care more about exterminating the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord than changing the future, is that it?"

"Er…I don't follow. Aren't they one and the same?"

"There you go! There you fucking go! Now we're talking!" the strange, older me said, his broad smile not leaving his face.

I noticed that the others at the table weren't paying any attention to us. "Um…can they…?"

"Oh, they could, but they're just ignoring us. As usual, right? I mean, when is Peter Pettigrew not ignored, know what I mean?"

"Well, I dunno; Molly and the press seemed to talk to me an awful lot today."

"BINGO! You are right on target today, my friend," the other Peter said, taking a long sip of champagne. "And, why did they talk to you? They would have completely ignored you ordinarily, correct? Why are they doing this?"

"B-because I'm powerful."

The Peter suddenly chucked his glass at the floor, making me jump. The others at the table looked up at us for a moment in surprise, but quickly returned to their own conversations.

"That's damn right, Peter. You're a powerful person, now. You mean something, now. You can execute random people now. And it's ALLLLL for the visions, is that right?" This future me seemed more than a little unbalanced.

"That's right."

After a bit of dismissive laughter, he said, "Don't you fucking lie to me, Pettigrew. Don't you DARE say that one more time."

"What are you…?"

"Turn on your brain, boy. I'm hoping you have one still, and it's not already used up from your glorious, heroic, self-serving quest for power."

"It's not self-serving! It's all to defeat Voldemort."

"Which is self-serving."

"No, it's not! I mean, it partially is, but it's also for the sake of everyone else. All the people I care about were murdered in those visions! All of them! That's why I'm taking action! If the visions had shown only me getting tortured and dying, then I doubt I'd care enough to accomplish what I've done so far!"

"Oh, so you're benevolent. You're such a GOOD and caring friend. You're Father Fucking Christmas, aren't you?" After I didn't answer, he continued, jabbing my chest with a finger, "Then why is it that you've done your best to push everyone away? If you care so much, then why are you figuring out all these new spells all alone, killing your enemies by yourself, standing up to the authorities without an ally to speak of, and fucking making the front pages? Huh? Let me tell you something, kid, you're using your visions, your friends, the Dark Lord, ALL of it…as an excuse."

"That's not true!"

"No?"

"It's not! I love…all these people," I said, gesturing towards the table. "I mean, except Snivellus. I think Bellatrix is redeemable, though she's a little confused now, of course. But I wouldn't want the Dark Lord to kill either of them, regardless of what they've done so far."

"You think Bellatrix is redeemable, huh? I didn't see you giving that chance to Carrow this evening! Why does she deserve a chance to live when he doesn't?"

"My hand was forced."

"No, YOU forced THEIR hand. You WANTED this to happen; a chance to demonstrate how almighty you are! And who could blame you? You've holed up in the Restricted Section for so long now that you don't even remember what it's like to ejaculate! You deserve a big fucking medal for how much you've sacrificed to become so almighty and powerful! I'd be proud of you if you didn't make me so SICK!"

"I don't even understand what you're mad about," I told the apparently furious me. "What are you trying to say? I'm fighting the Dark Lord the only way I know how."

"Peter, Peter, listen…you don't NEED to fight the Dark Lord to change the future. You know what I mean?"

"…huh?"

"Think back to the visions, kid. All of them could be counterchecked without even laying a hand on the Dark Lord. Sure, he did murder three of your friends directly, but perhaps you could encourage them to, I dunno – leave the country! You could stop Snape from joining the Dark Lord, so he wouldn't be in that position. You could stop James and Lily from getting married, which would prove that the future's changed. You know? Why haven't you tried any of these things?"

"Well, they're just not…"

"Shut up. You're not trying them because you WANT the power. You want the glory. I'm telling you that you don't actually give a rat's arse about any of these so-called friends of yours. Deny it all you want, but that's how it is. Actions speak louder than words, my friend." He picked up another glass from the table and slurped down some more champagne. "If you were truly trying to stop the visions from happening, you'd try as hard as you could to prevent these scenarios from occurring. You'd be training with all of these kids. You'd be doing everything you could to stop them from being vulnerable. But you're just making things worse, Peter. Don't you see?"

"Of course not. Okay, maybe you're right that there are some things I could do differently to help everyone survive. But don't I deserve a little power? How can that possibly hurt? I was borderline useless before, and…"

He put his hand on my shoulder. "It won't hurt YOU, Peter, but everyone else will still be in danger. I hate to break it to you, but you're still helping these visions along; the Dark Lord and his minions might not be the culprits at the end of this new road, but your friends will all still die."

"Well, if someone new comes along, then I'll kill them, too."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…who knew you were so violent, Peter? You know what happens to fantastically powerful wizards who solve all their problems through violence?" He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "They become Dark Lords."

My eyes widened. "I'm…I'd never become…"

"No, it'll happen. You're a bloodthirsty warrior, and the more you kill, the thirstier you'll become. You're already so paranoid, and as you get closer to finishing off Voldemort, you'll get ten times as bad. You've pushed away everyone, and you'll become even more closed off the more murders you commit. Don't you understand, Peter Pettigrew? This new route you've chosen leads straight to you becoming the next Dark Lord."

"That's absolutely ridiculous," I said with a roll of my eyes, but I was feeling quite unnerved. "I'm on the side of good! I'm trying to stop Voldemort from hurting everyone! I'd never turn evil, regardless of how bloodthirsty I am. I'd never hurt these people," I explained anxiously, gesturing wildly at the people seated before us.

Professor Dumbledore's disembodied voice then appeared in the dream room, saying, as he did in my suppressed memories, "Mr. Pettigrew, it is a very well-researched subject. Fate is written in stone!...I'm afraid that your path has been locked in."

"SON OF A…" I cried, looking about and kicking an empty desk over in anger. I had done some research on fate after my initial conversation with Dumbledore – it appeared that, in every case, prophecies DID come true, though sometimes the manner in which they occurred was slightly altered from what was predicted.

Could I really be on my way to becoming…the cause of all these horrible ends?

The older Peter grinned and threw his hood over his face. "Yes…it will be you, no matter what. If not you betraying them to Voldemort, it'll be through you killing them yourself. You think you can beat fate, Pettigrew? No matter how hard you try, you'll only come closer to fulfilling the prophecy! Their lives have been predetermined by Avaxeous to get snuffed out one day, and you can't do a thing about it."

I narrowed my eyes, smearing the tears away. "If THAT'S the case, then why did Avaxeous even bother giving me those visions at all? They can only be taken as…"

"…a warning? Precisely. Those visions WERE a warning to all the others who suffered in them. THEY'RE the victims. But Peter, admit it. You've been acting all this time like YOU'RE the victim, when from the very beginning, you were the perpetrator. You just happened to be the oracle, as well."

"Th-that's…GRR…I'll find a way, you bastard. I don't believe in fate. I'll save those people or die trying!"

The malicious Peter snickered, walking around me, taunting me with his assured logic. "No. You can't. And you're too proud to let yourself die. No matter what you do, fate will ALWAYS use your actions for evil, Pettigrew. You are too fundamentally flawed to ever escape your true self."

"Then I'll…I'll involve the others from now on. I'll let them help! Together, we can…"

"You'll use them, you mean. Because that's what you do, isn't it? You don't give a shite about friendship. You're too power hungry to even comprehend the meaning of the word! And, what I love about you is that you'll never have your fill. Even after you and I merge one day, and together become one of the mightiest Dark Lords in history, you'll STILL want more. That's just who we are, Peter."

"NO! You're wrong!"

"You are trapped."

"I refuse to believe that."

"Being purposefully ignorant will only get them killed faster," he sneered.

"Then I'll kill myself."

"And leave them all to die and suffer in the predetermined cycle of cruel fate? Weren't you just saying you cared about saving them, Peter? How can they survive, without your help?"

"Th-then what do I do?!"

He whirled to me, baring his Cheshire's smile. "You give in! You stop lying to yourself and embrace your true colors. The graceful, royal purple of rule and the crimson sash of spilt blood. Who CARES if you're the one who brings all your friends to their doom? It's already been decided anyway! Make the most of it!"

"Make the most out of everyone I care about dying?" I asked incredulously. "There's no WAY I'll…"

"You ARE a slave to fate, you pathetic sop! There IS no escape. You'll bury your friends, one by one. And, if you stay on your current trajectory, it will all be by your design! And, in the end, by the time you've realized what has happened, you WILL die by your own hand. Fate has foreseen it."

I screamed in fury.

"Oh, and here comes Tessa Prewitt! She's a pleasant lass, isn't she?"

Indeed, Tessa had randomly jumped up from her chair and was jokingly sashaying her way over to us, flipping her greasy hair about in jest.

"Of course she is!" I said, smiling longingly at her. "I love her, and I love being around her; there's no way I'd ever harm her."

"Hm, interesting," the bastard me said, turning on his heel to greet her and taking his hood off. "Tessa! Hi! How are you?" he said in a warm voice. She didn't seem to notice me standing beside him.

"Not even half bad, now that I'm talking to you!" she said with an exaggerated wink. Then an adorable blush covered her dirty cheeks and she continued, twisting her hips nervously in place, "So, listen Peter, I was wondering…there's a Hogsmeade trip coming up soon, a-a-and, um, I was thinking maybe…"

My other self cast a Entrail-Expelling curse before either her or I could react. She howled in alarm and pain as her intestines and organs burst forth from her skin with a horrible squelching sound.

"NO!" I screamed, looking at the putrid scene in horror.

Rather than looking at the other Peter, she looked straight at me with her chocolate eyes communicating deep sadness and something else that made me shiver: compassion.

"I always knew it would come to this," she moaned in a heavy voice. "Come here, Pete, hurry! And kiss…"

Before she could finish her sentence, she screamed in agony as the other Peter stomped on her still-dangling organs and then slit her bony throat wide open with a jeweled knife.

"Not bad, eh? You'd better prepare yourself for the inevitable, Mr. Pettigrew," he smirked.

"Wh-wh-wh-what was the point of that?" I asked, horrified.

"To show you that…oh, wait! Here comes the future Mrs. Potter, herself!"

"You son of a bitch," I growled, "Don't you dare!"

"Oh, hey there, Wormy!" Lily told the other Peter, carrying a jabbering infant. I looked at it in confusion before remembering that there was a baby in the crib when Voldemort attacked the Potters. Lily looked rather deliriously gorgeous, as usual. "I'm so glad that everything was all just one big misunderstanding!"

"No, Lily, go away! Get away from him!" I yelled, but she seemed unable to hear me.

"Don't worry about it for a second, Lily," the evil me said with a warm voice. "James had his reasons for suspecting me."

"I never, ever suspected you, though," Lily told him, bouncing her baby, "You're one of my oldest friends. We've got to watch each others' backs, right?"

"Oh, for sure," he said, "I'll always watch yours. And little Harry's, here! Hey there, squirt! Do you have anything to say to your Uncle Peter?"

The baby mumbled briefly in response.

"Oh, isn't that cute!" the evil Peter remarked, before abruptly taking Harry's head in both hands and giving it a sharp twist in a 180 degree angle.

Lily and I gaped.

"Y-y-you…what did you just DO?!" she screamed.

"Don't worry about it," he said smoothly.

She drew her wand and launched a couple curses at him, but he blocked them effortlessly.

"_Verdimillious_!" I yelled, casting my green lightning curse, but he redirected it away from himself. "Dammit!"

"_Avada Kedrava_," he said, launching it precisely through her defenses. "There we go."

Lily immediately collapsed backwards, completely still.

"You see? This is another completely acceptable way your story could go, my younger self, and you'd still be fulfilling the prophecy," Evil Peter grinned. "There's no reason it has to be Voldemort killing her." He looked down and ripped off her leather chestplate and bra, revealing her swollen, large breasts. "Look, Peter. You've always wanted to feel her tits, right? Come here! I'll let you touch em."

"You bastard!" I shouted, tears of fury streaming down my face as he squeezed and pulled her corpse's breasts violently. "_Avada Kedrava_!"

He lazily erected a steel frame to deflect my first Killing Curse. "Peter, come on and squeeze them! It's not like she's going to use them anymore! This may be your only chance before they rot and get infested with squirming maggots."

"No," I said with a shudder. "Please…no more…I don't want to see…"

"Are you sure?" he said, pausing to slurp on one of her nipples noisily. "This isn't even part of my lecture. These are some great tits! Oh, wait! Damn…she's still lactating! C'mon down and take a sip!"

"I'm sure," I said coldly, looking the other way. "Get away from her."

"I see your useless morals haven't completely eroded yet. A pity," he muttered, getting to his feet, wiping some milk off his lips, and stomping on her face violently until he cracked through her skull, just like Voldemort had done in the vision. "Well…I, for one, don't think I've really made my point."

"No. You have."

He chuckled. "Just saying no to every word I say doesn't constitute an argument, kid. You seem to have a stronger reaction to your female victims, so we'll stick with them, for now. Hey, you!" he said, pointing to the white-haired girl.

"Me?" she queried, her head tilted cutely. Her red eyes, now that I saw them when she wasn't in pain, looked quite lovely and exotic. She was just a generally very cute young witch. Something about her essence just gave me the inexplicable urge to protect her.

Evil Peter didn't seem inclined to give her any special treatment, however. "Yes, you! Get over here!"

She sighed. "Alright." Running a hand through her silvery hair, she dashed up to the evil Peter, her lovely breasts bouncing, which made me wince as I recalled Lucius ripping them to shreds in the vision.

"Wait, I'm curious; who is she? Who are you?" I asked, but they ignored me. "Please, answer me! I've been looking for you, I…"

"Peter, Lucius won't leave me alone!" she whispered to the Evil Peter, taking his hands and squeezing them between hers. "We've got to do something about him! I think he means to kill me soon…"

"Ohh, come here, gorgeous! I'll protect you…and you know I always will." he said, holding her womanly body against his.

I winced. He wasn't really gonna rape her, was he? I walked up to her and said, "Look, lady, you've got to get away from Peter! He means you nothing but harm!"

"Shut up, Peter," my other self said, moving her cape aside and quickly peeling her pants off, revealing her rather beautiful, shapely arse.

Oh god. The traumatic visions detailing her rape at Lucius's hands shredded through my mind, making me stumble backwards.

"Wh-wh-what's going on? What are you doing?" she gasped.

"Just take it easy, darling, and we'll both enjoy ourselves to the full," he said in a soothing voice, even as he took her wand from her shaking hand and snapped it in half.

She wouldn't have it, though. "No! Peter, I don't like you like that! Wait! No! Stop! I can't…" He didn't pay her any heed, though, and continued ripping off her clothes, twisting her about so her rump was against his erect crotch.

"_Impedimenta! Petrificus Totalus! Crucio!_" I cast randomly at him, trying to stop his progress, but he lazily knocked them away. I can't…watch this again…I'll go mad!

"You should shut your mouth, you worthless slut," he said, slapping her twice in the face as he forced his way inside her from behind. She screamed in rough pain, and he continued slamming himself into her. "Ahh, yeah, now THERE'S a tight cunt! Now; your eyes bother me! I've wanted to do this for a loooong…" He positioned his knife over her pain-contorted, crimson eyes.

I was so furious that I barely even knew what I was doing when I focused all my energies into my wand and roared, "_Confringo Maxima!_" I'd just unleashed the other spell unlocked by the Pettigrew ritual, and it felt like it, too.

My body wracked with pain as bright white light broke violently around us all, and the rape dream exploded into shards.

Splintery, wooden shards.

And now, strangely, there was an enormous burst of wind blowing in my face…and…why does it feel like I'm falling?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Alright, everyone...it's the end of the chapter.

NOOOOOOO!

Now, see, I liked this chapter. I know it was different, and that a lot of it took place inside the characters' heads, but I think it rocked. Obviously, though, you are completely allowed to disagree. Do feel free to let me know whatever vaguely related thoughts you might have concerning the chapter.

(Personal note about the author) I hope everyone had a happy Labor Day! I had my best one ever - a girl who I've had a crush on for, like, four years (though I always thought she was completely out of my league, and, thus, didn't try anything) suddenly came forth with the information that she had a huge crush on me, too! I've never felt so elated in my entire life. XD

I do realize, of course, that you, in all likelihood, don't care at all. So, to help you out a little, I've included *GASP!* the next chapter, as well! :D Enjoy it, too, or else! Or else...stop...reading...or some shit. XD

All my readers are my favorite people ever! Thanks for stopping by the story!


	7. Out Of Commission

**A/N: **Thanks again for betaing, NoxedSalvation! Your username is cool, by the way.

Also, I've been getting more reviews recently from people who aren't signed in. You're totally welcome to do so, but I always enjoy messaging my readers back, especially for clarification, and I sadly can't do that if you don't have an account or aren't signed in. I realize I may come off as sort of an extremely weird person, though, so I can see why you might not WANT me to have the ability to message you back. That's cool, too. If that's the case, I'll just sit in the corner and doodle pictures of Peter massacring Death Eaters by the bushel. 3 And I'll change the WORLD by doing so! Except not really.

Here we go! Strap in for another wild session of Rot4thM! :D

* * *

><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter 7 – Out Of Commission**

Utterly exhausted, I opened my eyes and gasped; I WAS falling through midair, plowing downwards through the clouds at a rapid pace, with no end in sight.

Grabbing hold of my wand in a panic, I gasped, "_Aresto Momentum!_"

My magic immediately lurched in exhaustion, but the charm ended up working, shakily, after five seconds, suspending me in midair.

Dammit. I'm basically out of energy…and this charm requires constant magical input.

I gritted my teeth, allowing blood to drip from my nose as I put everything into holding this spell steadily.

I tried to figure out what had happened without using all of my full concentration.

The Prewitts live on a cliff, right? So…since I was just falling…that means…damn. I must have actually used that Pettigrew Blasting Curse in reality, too, which would explain why I feel so bloody drained. I hope I didn't destroy their house with that curse! With any luck, they're alright.

I racked my mind briefly, trying to remember if I knew any magic that could help get me to safety. Nothing came to mind, however, though I remembered Abraxas Malfoy levitating himself during the Festival. I had no knowledge of such a charm, however. Which means…I need to wait till someone comes on a broom or something.

"Well, this sucks," I muttered, my wand shaking as I gripped it with sweaty fingers. Even though it was bright out, now, the chasm seemed to just go on and on below me, forever.

My mind was crunching painfully in sync with my heartbeat. I wasn't going to be able to last much longer. Wait…if I was going to bring about all these deaths…why don't I just let myself fall? Then life can continue on its merry way!

I almost let go, but I realized that all those people still needed my help. And killing myself now WOULD still be a death at my own hands, so I'd basically be fulfilling my part of the prophecy. Me dying now didn't mean that anyone else would be safe.

It seemed like the best solution would be to somehow make everyone safe…though I couldn't think too well how to go about doing that at the moment. And that evil Peter seemed to be saying that…by being so focused on myself, I was pursuing an end where I become a Dark Lord? Is that even possible?

I groaned, in excruciating pain. I could feel the skin on my legs start to peel off; my Suspension Charm was depleting my stores of energies and turning to other sources to keep it going.

All that I saw last night was probably just a dream…a really screwed up dream. But it still made some good points…not all of which I remember right now.

I think, however, that it may be time to pull back on my quest for power acquisition. That evil me was a perfect example of what I didn't want to become, at any cost.

And, in order to still fight Voldemort, and not merely through my power …it stands to reason that I'll need to gain some allies for my cause.

I cried out as the skin on my forehead suddenly started ripping off. I hope to Merlin someone's coming!

"Hey there, Pete. Glad I found ya," I suddenly heard Tessa say in her lazy drawl, her voice accompanied by the swoop of a broomstick. "It seems you've decided to give our home a new arsehole. Or, rather, significantly widen its existing arsehole, to the point that it could take in almost an entire army of broomsticks."

I was so relieved I almost shat myself. "H-help me!" I hissed, a bubble of blood popping from the rip in my face.

"Don't even worry about it, mate! Jus' don' even worry about it! I got this under control!" she yawned. "Now; if you'd do me the honour of taking a seat on my broomstick and holding me roughly from behind," she said as she maneuvered about, scooting forward on her broomstick to, I guess, make room for my bulky self behind her. "…I'd make it worth your while," she finished, with an adorable flutter of her eyelashes. I noticed that she seemed to be wearing only a thin silk nightgown…an outfit which, even on her, was extremely tempting.

"Sorry about this…I'm going to cancel my spell now. Ready?"

"I'm so ready for you, it's kind of depressing, really," she said, hovering backwards so her shaft went between my legs.

"Okay…" I gently wrapped my arms around her skeletal body and cancelled it. Apparently, she was less ready than she thought, however, as we immediately fell like a rock.

"Holy shit!" she screamed as my gentle grip turned into an iron vice across her ribcage (and her lovely breasts, of course, which felt amazing to hold on to).

After taking a moment to recover, she swerved around in a wide curve before pulling her Cleansweep sharply skywards in an effort to ascend. The poor broom seemed to be quite unsupportive of our plight.

I was hanging onto her tiny body with both my arms and thighs as tightly as possible, despite my zombie-like energy level, quite aware that she was the only thing keeping me from death.

"So, uh…are you gonna keep squeezing my tits like that?"

"S-sorry…you know how I get when I'm around a woman who scorns a brassiere," I joked, abruptly lowering my hands to a much less enjoyable position.

She chuckled a bit, wiggling her lovely arse around against my crotch, which didn't help at all with my efforts to not get aroused. "Do you have enough room back there?"

"Surprisingly, yes. I'm really glad you're flying this thing and not me – I've always been absolutely shite on brooms."

She chuckled. "Well, at least that's one thing that hasn't changed about you."

"I suppose," I said, hugging her tighter. "I'm…really glad you're okay…"

"Oh! Er…th-thanks," she said, sounding surprised. "The house isn't too bad, really. You only nuked part of the lower floor."

I winced. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, thankfully. Although I'd watch out when we get back, if I were you. My male cousins aren't exactly thrilled to have you here."

"Well, I'm happy to be here, at least for now," I said. "Especially since you're only wearing this thin, silk nightgown!"

"For YOUR information, I'm wearing a pair of polka-dot knickers, as well. I wouldn't go flying wearing just this floppy thing – I'm not a slut."

"It's okay, Tessa," I said, patting her stomach. "Just because you dress like a tramp doesn't mean I don't want to ravish you."

"YOU really know how to make a girl feel good about herself."

I hugged her from behind. "I'm really glad I didn't hurt you, though…" The last time I saw her was with her entrails expelled and her throat split open, after all. "So…are we good, now? Last night you seemed a little…"

"Well, I figured, if you're gonna be here a while, I might as well not get my knickers in a twist about it. But just because I'm tolerating your boner up my bum at the moment doesn't mean I'll want to continue when we get back, you know. I'd appreciate it if you kept your space after this. And, er…please do me a favor and don't mention last night to me, ever again."

"But, to be perfectly honest with you, your bum feels really nice! It's like an old friend, welcoming me in for some cheese and crackers." Truthfully, I hadn't felt so aroused in a VERY long time. The silk added to the effect, I think.

"…you are a weird person."

"Frankly, I don't think you're in ANY position to call me weird, Miss Prewitt."

"…fair enough."

We finally made it back up to what remained of the Prewitt Overlook. It looked like it had seen some seriously better days, but it was still an impressive sight. Tessa was correct – the entire lower deck looked like it had just been ripped off. Smoke was still spilling from the cracks.

Our shared broom puttered in the enormous hole, parking in what looked like a family room or something, complete with a couch and lit Christmas tree.

"Whew! That was…way too unforgettable for this time in the morning!" Tessa said, standing up and stretching, her lovely arse directly in my face.

"Er…" I muttered, struggling against my tiredness and arousal to stand up. I noticed two older, redheaded males approaching me with folded arms and glares to match. "Oh, good to meet you! I'm…" As I outstretched my hand, I looked down and realized, to my horror, that I was still wearing ONLY Molly's pink booty shorts, except now I had a VERY obvious, flopping, raging erection from having Tessa's sexy tush pressed against me. Not the best first impression I've ever made.

Still in a sleepy daze, Tessa murmured, "I'll go get a blanket for us to warm up in," which seemed to light a flame of violent anger in Fabian and Gideon's eyes.

"Get him," Gideon, the larger Prewitt, growled, and Fabian quickly maneuvered behind me, held my shaking arms aloft, and headbutted me to the ground.

"W-what are you doing?!" Tessa cried, her voice trembling.

Gideon completely ignored her, his face a hideous contortion of malice as he strode forward.

I finally found my drained voice. "Guys, I am SO sorry for what I did to your…"

Gideon snarled, "Don't you dare!" before stomping on my crotch with a sickening crunch. Tessa screamed, drawing her wand.

I gaped, feeling nothing at first but shock, but after a second the raw, obscene pain coursed through my body up to my throat. I couldn't stand it – I was going to…

I heaved, the vomit spilling all over my shirtless body.

"That was for destroying our home, Pettigrew," Fabian told me. "You might be a prodigy with a wand, but there's nothing you can do against an old-fashioned beat-down, is there? Do you know how many centuries of history you just destroyed, for no reason? You're DEAD!"

"P-p-please...nng!" I was cut off when Gideon zapped me with a Cruciatus. My body and mind erupted in the familiarly madness-inducing, hellish pain, leaving me to writhe violently out of control. Normally I could withstand quite a few hits of the curse, but with my magic this drained…I was very concerned that I was going to die, go mad, or piss myself. Whoops, there goes that last one.

I'm powerless…I can't even lift a finger, let alone defend myself, I'm so drained…and, Merlin, my balls…

"Stop! Get off him, now!" Tessa said, holding her wand up to Gideon. "Or, family or not, I'll make you suffer!"

"Tessa, do you know who this is?! He's that out-of-control wizard from the papers! And, by being here, he's linked us with the likes of him in the public eye!"

"I know who he is better than you, that's for certain. Back. Off."

"Oh, of course you do," Fabian mocked from behind me, still binding my arms. "You were just giving him some airborne action a few seconds ago, weren't you?"

"Maybe you should leave things alone that you know nothing about!" Tessa cried, switching her aim to Fabian. "Now, unhand him!"

Gideon used the opportunity to knock her roughly to the floor and to take her wand. "You're not seeing this clearly, Tessa. This slobbering worm just paid a grievous insult to the Ancient and Noble House of Prewitt." He grinned, cracking his knuckles. "So he owes us some penance."

"L-leave her alone," I groaned. "Don't hurt her!" Tessa looked at me with shock in her eyes, for some reason.

Gideon hit me with the Cruciatus Curse again, and I once again vomited all over my self from the pain. My entire essence got raked over and over with white-hot pain repeatedly, blood flooding from my eyes and nose. "You've forced us into an alliance with you from that little stunt you pulled yesterday, with Molly. And, fuck, we MIGHT have considered it, but after you did all THIS! Dressed like THAT? And we even find you with a fucking stiffy against our little cousin here."

"You son of a bitch," Tessa growled at Gideon. "You'll pay for this,"

"It was an accident," I croaked with a shudder, blood squirting from my face. "I'll help rebuild…"

"You CAN'T rebuild history, you blighter," Fabian spat as Gideon kicked me in the balls again, to my yelping pain and horror. "Consider your family line defunct." My body shuddered violently, another round of bile bubbling from my lips.

As Gideon wound back another punt, I heard another female voice – Molly's – yell "_Duro_!" which froze his body entirely into stone, in mid-kick.

I wheezed in relief, though I heaved again, my entire body shuddering from the pain of magical exhaustion and genital torture.

"Molly, stop," Fabian began sternly, but Molly stomped up to him and loudly slapped him in the face. It must've been a heavy one, since he let go of my arms as a result. I tried to move away, but he set his foot down on my throat.

"What is WRONG with you?" Molly screeched at Fabian. "I might have expected this from Gideon, but never from you! Peter is my guest!"

"Are you sure you're not HIS guest? He's manipulating us, Moll-" He was cut off by an abrupt chop to the skull from his sister.

"I invited him here, myself, so he could escape from the press and spend time with Tessa and I. That is ALL. And I had to convince him to come!"

"Then kindly convince him to leave," Fabian instructed her, slowly lifting his foot off me. Tessa hurriedly pulled me away, casting a few cleansing spells on my body.

Molly raised her wand to Fabian's face. "He's injured, exhausted, and suffering. Why don't we deal with the alliance question later?"

"Are you daft? The papers already think our families ARE allies! We have to put this right, and fast. And get HIM out of here before he blows up the rest of the house or murders us like he did Carrow!" He said that last part to Tessa, who was currently holding me close to herself, under a soft blanket.

"Listen to me, Fabian – this is THE Peter…you know…the one from the letters," Molly said in a lowered voice. No idea what she meant, there.

Fabian froze a moment before collecting himself again and striding over towards me. Tessa leaned over me protectively, her succulent breasts dangling tantalizingly (I tried my very best to keep eye contact with Fabian, however, for my continued health).

"Peter…tell me why I should allow you to stay here, when you're this dangerous," he ordered.

"P-politics," I wheezed, shuddering. I was on my last legs.

"Not good enough. Everyone will forget you even exist in a month if I need them to, regardless of how big a statement you managed to pull off last night."

"Fabian, please," Tessa begged.

"Quiet! He can handle himself. So…have you anything else to offer? What value could we possibly gain from allying with a weak, distateful slug like you that constantly draws attention to itself?"

I tried again. "I…I care…I really care…about…nng…Tessa and Molly…want to protect them."

He glared at me through my gasping. "Very well. That will suffice. For now."

"Finally," Molly said, trotting over and kneeling next to me, on the side opposite Tessa. "Okay…Peter, I'm fairly accomplished with healing magic. Allow me to work on you a bit, alright?"

"Th-thanks…" I shuddered. The girls exchanged serious looks. "My magic is completely depleted…please help…"

"Don't worry, Peter," Molly said, peeling back the blanket and beginning to cast several spells all over my body. "Son of a bitch, Fabian!" Molly muttered in annoyance as she began to see the state I was in. "Why couldn't you just stun him like a normal wizard and be done with it?"

He shrugged. "Sorry…I guess we got a little carried away."

No really? That arse. Merlin, I want to slice him to shreds.

"Is he going to be alright?" Tessa whispered, holding my hand and caressing it.

"Yeah…he's got a very strong magical core…he'd be a tough light to snuff out all the way," Molly said, beads of sweat dripping down her beautiful skin. "Although he'll need to rest for a good 48 hours to recover a healthy amount of magic. He must have ripped through it quite rapidly…" She shot her brother another glare, which he completely ignored. "Or had it ripped from him."

After a while, I mustered the courage to ask, "Um…are my…balls okay?"

"Y-y-yes, don't worry," Molly said nervously. "I've healed them up already."

"Oh, thank Merlin!" I gasped in relief. Tessa murmured something in agreement as well.

"Just don't, you know…u-use them for a few days, if you get my meaning, and you should be completely recovered down there," Molly said with a stammer.

I chuckled. "Well, seeing as I've been celibate all my life thus far, I don't think that should be a big problem!" Tessa blushed and looked away.

"You're joking! How are you still a virgin?!" Molly gasped.

Tessa slapped her forehead in annoyance. "Seriously? He's fifteen! Wouldn't it be more abnormal for him to be active by this point?"

"Calm down; all I'm saying is, he's obviously really good looking, so it's hard to think that he could have held off for this long…"

I couldn't suppress a huge grin at that and, feeling comfortable being tended to by two lovely young witches, laid back my head and gave in to my indignant exhaustion.

Once sleep seized my mind, I was immediately greeted by the leering sight of the older me in a flaming hall, the eternally suffering white-haired lady still nude and trying to break free from his grip.

"I've been waiting for you, Pete," he said, jabbing the jeweled knife into her pretty left eye and twisting it, her jelly sopping out.

"NOOO!" I screamed, launching back out of the dream. Both Prewitt girls caught me in a hug from either side.

"Peter? What's…" Molly began.

"Nightmares. I can't stop them…they happen all the time!" I groaned, my body prickling from all the abuse I'd been putting it though. "The only way to halt them is to use the Draught of Dreamless Sleep…"

"So…when you exploded our house," Tessa began, starting to put two and two together, "Were you…having…"

"Yeah. I was defending myself in my dream, and I accidentally cast it in real life, it seems."

"Ohhh! I was wondering what happened!" Molly gasped, embracing my bare, sweaty chest tightly before turning to her brother, who had taken a seat at the dining table. "See? He wasn't actually attacking us."

Fabian shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I'll give you another chance, though, Pettigrew. You say you need some Draught of Dreamless Sleep?"

"Yeah."

He nodded, looking at me curiously. "Fair enough. We have some in storage. Molly, you go get it."

She rolled her eyes. "Fabian…the three of us need to talk more in private."

"Alright. I'll return shortly, then."

Once I was alone with the girls again, Molly began caressing the back of my head, saying, "I am SO sorry about all this, Peter…I was hoping to give you a place to relax and then…"

I put a shaking finger up to her lips. "Don't worry – I brought this on myself. It was my fault for not asking for the potion last night. And I probably deserved a beating for destroying your ancient family home…"

"Pssh, you're more important than some easily replaceable wood!" Tessa murmured. "A-are you still in pain?"

I nodded. "Yeah…it's horrible."

"How long have you been having these nightmares?" Molly asked, her arrestingly pretty face radiant with concern.

"Since I met Tessa, actually," I said, with a crafty smirk.

"Wow! Thanks for that." Tessa said, giving me a playful nudge.

"It's true, though. They started the night before I met her."

"Can you tell us, er…what they're about?" Tessa asked me softly.

"I'd…rather not, presently. I'm sorry."

"Is…there anything I can do for you?" Molly asked.

"M-me, too! I'd also like to, er, help, if I could," Tessa said nervously.

I blushed, thinking of many things I'd like to do with them, but which probably wouldn't be advisable under my current situation. "Well…to be completely honest, there are many things that I'd like." To their admonishing looks I hurriedly continued, trying to think of something appropriate to propose. "Not THOSE kinds of things! Um…what I'd really like, more than anything, is your assistance in helping me get out of this marriage contract with the Carrows."

"Certainly, Peter! We can start researching right away!" Tessa said reassuringly.

"And, er, if it's not too much to ask…I'd really like to be able to sleep on a bed," I grinned. "Any vague comfort I can possibly get a hold of would be fantastic."

Damn…those dangling breasts are so tempting, they should be illegal. Why are these girls still leaning over me like this? Do they enjoying torturing me so? Dear, sweet Merlin…I can't be a bad guest, after all they've done for me! But…those breasts!

"Hmm…" Molly said, tapping her lips in thought. "I'm sure Tessa wouldn't mind letting you stay in her bed!"

Wait a second…I'm really groggy, but…doesn't that seem completely opposite of what she was warning me against earlier? My brain hurts.

"What?! No!" Tessa cried.

"Hey now, it's not like you and I could even do anything, when I'm in this state" I reminded her with a gesture towards my lower self, a little miffed by her outraged reaction nonetheless.

"Oh. Right. I guess there wouldn't be any harm, then, so long as we clean you off first," she said, looking to Molly skeptically. "But, wait; are you sure? There ARE a lot of problems that could come about as a result! With my…you know…and, especially concerning your brothers."

"Don't worry, I'll deal with them. You just enjoy snuggling up to Peter. He needs some comfort, I can tell," Molly said, causing Tessa and I to meet each other's wide eyes and look away in deep embarrassment. "And I meant to talk to them earlier about you, Peter…this really is all my fault!"

"Yeah, and I was completely useless earlier," Tessa groaned. "I'm so sorry for letting them hurt you like that, Peter, when I was RIGHT motherfucking there!"

"Language!" Molly admonished her under her breath.

I smiled weakly. "If it makes you feel any better, I forgive you, both of you. As long as you forgive me for all the trouble I've caused."

"Ah, it's no big deal. It's easily restored," Molly said with another tight, heavenly hug. "My brothers just wanted an excuse to kick your arse."

"…Awesome."

"Okay, I'm back," Fabian said, striding back into the room. The girls both quickly distanced themselves from me (breasts jiggling accordingly). "We've got ten bottles here, but I'm assuming you won't be staying here that long."

"Well," I groaned, trying and failing to push myself up to look at him. "I was planning on helping you repair the damage to the lower level, so I figure I'll be here for at least four days or so…"

"Hm. Taking responsibility for your messes, eh? I like that." Fabian looked to Tessa. "You want to make sure he restores everything back to the way it was?"

Tessa sighed dramatically. "Why me, again?"

"Probably because you're his friend," he smirked. "And because you're the youngest."

"Why don't you go fuck a mermaid? I hear they're rather frisky this time of year."

"…Like, an actual mermaid, or the fairy tale version?"

"I'm fairly certain either one would skewer you with its trident if you tried anything."

"No worries! I like a woman with a little fight in her!" Fabian beamed.

Tessa stuck her tongue out at him before casting a Levitation Charm on me and bringing me upstairs.

* * *

><p>"Whew! Alright! We're away from the craziness!" Tessa gasped, gently lowering me onto her still-unmade bed.<p>

"I dunno…you look a little bit more nervous now than you did back there." I grinned. "Am I driving you mad with desire?"

"Oh yes. You know how I just love to prey on the injured and immobile," she sang, uncorking a beaker of the Draught and holding it to my lips. "I'm going to tip it back now, okay?"

I nodded, swallowing the familiarly sour blend as she administered it to me.

"Alright, well…I think you should just rest, and, um…"

"Tessa…before I lose consciousness…there's just one thing that I want to tell you…"

"H-huh? What is it?" she asked, shuffling over to me meekly.

I gave a crooked grin. "Your nightgown is transparent. It's been a lovely view this morni-"

She gave me a harsh slap, making me chomp down on my tongue, drawing blood. "Wow! Have fun sleeping by yourself!" she said with an offended huff, obviously humiliated.

Before I could apologize and tell her something actually appreciative, I succumbed to the blackness of gentle, dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, my body (particularly my balls) still throbbed with discomfort. I found Tessa sleeping on the floor next to my side of the bed, true to her word.<p>

"Heh…I knew she didn't like me," I murmured with a wry grin. It's a shame…she's really quite adorable, once you look past her nonexistent hygiene. She actually looked extremely pretty when asleep, her washed crimson hair sprawled about in elegant disarray, her peaceful face wearing an expression of satisfaction. I watched the gentle rise and fall of her modest chest until I felt too creepy to continue.

The musty, orange-tinted room was fairly nondescript, with minimal decoration...but it kind of had a strangely depressing aura, which was somehow strengthened by a series of stuffed animals sitting unused in the corner.

Now that I finally was able to think without being in a state of exhausted panic, I nervously recalled the bizarre dream and wondered what my plans should be from here on out. Have I really been helping to fix anything using my methods so far? Granted, I haven't had much a chance to prove or disprove their effectiveness…however, several things psycho-evil-rapist Peter said made a lot of sense: I'm not paying especial attention to stopping the circumstances of those visions from arising, I'm certainly not helping any of my friends out with their magical knowledge and expertise, and I seem to generally be getting colder and getting more focused exclusively on myself.

The Dark Lord route is certainly one that I don't want to go down. But if Dumbledore keeps refusing to send out all his troops to do Voldemort in, then I certainly can't just lay around and wait for the monster to murder us all. No…I must continue gaining power, no matter what. He won't do me in without a fight. As long as I know there is some danger of me becoming a Dark Lord, I'm sure I'll be able to avoid it.

Allies, though. Allies could certainly help.

I suddenly realized I was extremely hungry and thus wondered how long I'd been out.

"Um…Tessa?" I asked at a moderate volume, successfully causing her to groan and roll away in response. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Hmm?" she twisted her head about and blinked at me groggily. "Oh…it's been almost two days. How are you?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, it's hard to see how well things are working by myself, you know?"

"Peter…please do me a huge favor and shut the fuck up about that kind of stuff!" She said with seemingly random vitriol. Well…at least she's awake now.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just…"

"I know you were joking, but you just keep pissing me off. Sorry. I don't know if I can handle this anymore," she muttered, getting up and shaking her mane about in annoyance. "I'll get you some breakfast or something."

"Um…th-thank you!" I called after her, but she didn't answer. I loved looking at her bum as she went, though, naturally. Mmm…tight, thin sweatpants. Gotta love em. Especially when they're spread tightly across an arse as lovely as Tessa's.

I wonder why she dislikes me, anyway? I'm doing my best to be nice and not act too perverted…I mean, I'm not succeeding at either of those too well, but still. I don't understand girls at all.

* * *

><p>Deciding to put myself to SOME use, despite being immobile for another six hours, I requested material to write a letter. To my dad, I wrote:<p>

_Dear Father,_

_I'm sure you're alarmed about what I did at Yule. However, know that I did everything I could to avoid a confrontation, and only spoke with the utmost of decency to the Carrows. After I found myself bound by the duel, with the honour of our family name being insulted by my opponent, I did the only thing I could to save face – win, and brutally so. I'm aware that I'm in the news now, and I've been laying low at the Prewitts' for a few days. Do you have any advice as to what my next move should be?_

_I didn't choose an alliance with the Prewitts lightly, make no mistake; after Molly Prewitt proposed I join them at their home, in front of the reporters, I was forced to make a decision between making enemies of them or securing a powerful allegiance with them. As the Prewitts are a generally well-regarded family of a Dark-Neutral alignment, I felt that there was no reason not to join with them. Not that I could discern, at any rate. I apologize if you don't agree with my reasoning, but what's done is done. Furthermore, I'm continuing to make progress with the two single female members of their family _(that bit was somewhat exaggerated),_ so, with any luck, I'll be able to secure a replacement for Alecto as my intended bride._

_I'm going to compose a letter to Aedipos Carrow following this letter's completion, requesting an audience. Wish me luck; as promised, I shall endeavor to do whatever I can do to halt things from proceeding further with the Carrows._

_Warm regards,_

_Peter._

Next, I cracked my knuckles and began another letter.

_To Lord Aedipos Carrow,_

_I humbly request an audience with your Lordship, so we both may better understand the other's position and ideal outcomes regarding the recent marriage agreement forged between our houses. I intend to bring an advisor along to the meeting, should you accept._

_I would also like to apologize for your loss; what occurred between your heir and I was most unfortunate. I trust that this matter will not needlessly antagonize our two parties._

_To your health,_

_Peter Pettigrew_

Okay…I think that'll do, for now.

* * *

><p>After fully recovering my magic to a healthy state and dressing myself in a pair of old robes, I staggered downstairs to greet the four Prewitts living in the Overlook. I badly wanted to exact revenge on the brothers for stomping on my crotch like that – I can forgive a <em>Crucio<em>, but genital abuse just adds insult to injury. Insult that dearly needs to be answered for.

However, I owed it to the lovely Prewitt ladies, as their friend, to at least make an effort to get along with them. Moreover, there's no question that an alliance with the family would be the best possible conclusion from this stay at their home.

All conversation stopped when I reached the kitchen, Gideon's glare drawing my gaze. Fabian and Tessa wore a blank expression, while Molly looked at me fretfully.

"A-are you feeling better, Peter?"

I shrugged. "I think so. I don't think my magic's completely recovered, yet, but I at least feel more like myself. Thank you very much for all you've done."

As she gave a warm "You're welcome," Gideon abruptly stood up.

"Maybe you should be directing your thanks at us instead, Pettigrew," Gideon spat my name, "seeing as we haven't yet dropped you out of that hole you made."

"Bloody hell. Would you like a tampon to go with that PMS?" Tessa chirped.

"QUIET!" Gideon yelled, but Tessa didn't react beyond a sly sneer. "The weakling can answer for himself." He looked up at me and crossed his arms. "So. Molly's been doing nothing but singing your praises the entire time you were out. Personally, I can't stand you, and I think that you're a piece of worthless, dark shite that ought to be put on trial. So, I'll ask you again: why are you here? Don't you find it strange that the first place you flee to after murdering Carrow is the home of two aurors?"

I replied evenly, "I have three reasons for coming here. Firstly, Molly offered to bring me here to help me escape the unsettled mob at the Festival. Secondly, I consider Tessa to be one of my very best friends, so I was hoping to spend some time with her, just for fun." Here, Tessa raised her eyebrows and looked away from me with a strange expression. "Finally, I hope to forge a political alliance between our two families.

Gideon gave an ugly smile. "That again? Why would we possibly waste a single thought on forming an alliance with you?"

"There are several benefits both our families could gain. We'd mutually increase our reputation in the public eye – make no mistake, we're both well-known and feared for our power. We'd be able to assist each other in politics by backing our respective proposals, positions, and votes." I could tell that Gideon was looking more suspicious as I kept talking, so I quickly dropped the big one. "Most importantly, we'd fight on the same side in the war."

"Oh? And which side is that?" Gideon asked in a cold voice.

"The side opposing the Dark Lord."

The five of us all seemed to release our held breaths as one, seemingly realizing that we were all, in fact, on the same side.

"Fair enough," Gideon said slowly. "If what you say is true, then you truly would be a formidable ally in the battle against the Dark Lord."

I nodded. "Not only would we lend a wand to each other's causes, we could also strategize together and mutually use our resources to further our aims."

"Okay, seriously – how are you NOT a Slytherin?" Fabian asked me.

I shrugged. "This side of me hadn't really developed yet when I was getting sorted. I also wanted to be in the same House as my best mate, Remus Lupin."

"Lupin, huh? Is he also a formidable duelist?" Gideon said, sitting back down at the table and motioning for me to follow suit.

"Absolutely – he's the second-best in my year."

"So we'll be gaining him as an ally as well, no doubt," Fabian remarked. "Very well. I know his parents – they're good people."

"They certainly are," I said. "Also, please don't my killing of Carrow against me – he was a Death Eater."

"And you are you absolutely certain of this?" Gideon asked, leaning forward.

"Indeed. I saw the Dark Mark on his forearm, clear as day. And, yes, I'd be willing to give you the memory as proof."

"Fantastic. Glad we don't have to arrest you," Fabian chuckled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!" Tessa suddenly said, turning to me. "That's it? You're all just going to be friends now? Pete – these guys crushed your cajones and tortured you when you were already under severe magical exhaustion. It's a fucking miracle that you even survived!"

"What can I say? I'm a tough nut to crack," I winked.

"I'm serious; what the hell are you thinking?"

"My dear cousin," Fabian said, wiping his mouth daintily on his napkin. "We are men of logic and strategy. To continue a battle of petty grudges would ultimately be pointless."

"Furthermore, we're both semi-dark families that oppose the Dark Lord while we aren't particularly loyal to Dumbledore, either," Gideon beamed. "There's hardly reason not to make nice with one another, just because he's a pervert who destroyed centuries of history because he had a scary dream."

"Um…"

"Tessa, they're correct. Don't worry about it overmuch. Personally, I'm nothing short of ecstatic that we can work together now. I'm sure a very bright future awaits our two families," I coaxed, succeeding in earning a small blush from her.

"I propose a toast to the mutual furthering of our two families in the Wizarding World!" a very relieved Molly said, raising a glass of orange juice.

We all cheered (though Tessa did so hesitantly), and clinked our glasses.

"Don't think this changes the repair work you promised us, though," Gideon ordered.

"I never renege on a promise," I vowed. "I'll fix your house, however long it takes."

"Great!" Molly grinned, looking at Tessa. "And I think you'll need someone there with you to make sure you restore everything to its proper design."

"Go with Tessa? Sweet, I can roll with…" I began, looking forward to hopefully clearing the air with Tessa and whatever was bothering her.

However, Tessa interrupted with, "What is wrong with the world?! I hate everyone!" and planted her face in her plate of eggs.

…the hell?

"Don't worry, Peter," Molly mock-whispered to me, "she'll grow out of it!" When Tessa fixed her with a vengeful glare, Molly quickly continued with "And if HE ever slacks off, you can punish him!"

"Oh, don't worry…I was counting on it," she vowed, looking up at me with cheese and eggs running from her leering face. I felt a slight chill…

"You know, brother, methinks our young friend is in danger of being involved with our cousin in a naughty manner," Fabian observed.

"No, Peter wouldn't do that," Molly said. "He doesn't see Tessa that way." Strangely, Tessa glared at her. Molly answered her look with, "How could he? Look at your face!"

Gideon stroked his short red beard. "I agree, though; Peter, you had best watch yourself, or you may find yourself quite violated."

"I assure you that, if something did occur in such a manner, it would be both accidental and completely fantastic," I said with a grin. "And I promise to take responsibility for any resulting offspring."

"Let's hope it's a stillbirth," Tessa muttered. "Now, how's about everyone shut the hell up about this?" However, her cousins continued to mock her, so she abruptly destroyed all the guys' clothes with an _Expellimellius _and stalked out.

"Wow, that was a nice _Expellimellius_," I said, looking down at my bare crotch. "Not a single singe on the equipment."

"See? Told you she's good at punishing in slightly inappropriate ways," Gideon chuckled.

Making sure not to look at my body at all, Molly fetched and handed me another old Prewitt family robe. "Try not to lose this one, as well, if you don't mind."

I took it from her with a blush and a grateful stammer, clumsily clothing myself while trying to hide whatever I could.

* * *

><p>After Molly deemed it safe for me to work again after recovering from the various Cruciatus Curses I'd experienced, I quickly got to work fixing the damage I'd done to their home, with Tessa reluctantly overseeing my work. Molly and the others stopped in from time to time, as well, usually to merely check on my progress (and Molly on my health and whether I was enjoying my time with Tessa, to which an eavesdropping Tessa would invariably throw a piece of the room at her face).<p>

Gideon and Fabian seemed to warm up considerably once I revealed that I was anti-Voldemort, and that I'd only killed Carrow because I saw the Dark Mark on his forearm. Apparently, murder was considered far less barbaric when the slayed wizard or witch was a Death Eater. Gideon remained slightly distrustful of me, however, but I think that was born more out of a brotherly protective instinct, at this point.

Fortunately for me, much of the destroyed section of the house had been caught in a weak barrier shield surrounding the building. It was normally intended to keep things out rather than to contain things. However, the force of my Pettigrew Blasting Curse was such that I actually ripped a gash through the barrier, which resulted in quite a few pieces lost to the abyss. I was able to recover some of those fragments using a taxing multi-summoning spell, but we decided that a few trips to a wizarding lumber yard would be necessary.

Much of it could be reconstructed using a variety of repairing, constructing, and sticking charms, but most of the magical artifacts and portraits kept in the room were now hopelessly destroyed. I vowed to buy replacements, but Gideon said not to bother, as what gave those objects their meaning wasn't their presence but their history.

As I toiled, giving and taking from the ever present flow of magic to keep being able to cast after so long, Tessa decided that, "Today, I'm going to read you the news!"

I winced. "Um…I'd rather you didn't…"

She waved me off. "I know you don't want to get your feelings hurt or whatever, but it's important for you to hear what people are saying about you, mate! I mean, sure, the news is always a little biased, but…"

"I don't normally mind the news, but it's when they pull all this sensationalizing crap that I get furious," I muttered. "Bloody yellow journalists."

"Still, don't worry; it's pretty big stuff they're saying about you this time, really. And it'll be good for all your strategy," she said the word mockingly, "or whatever you and Fabian are always on about! A strategy for what?"

"For making the most of our family alliance," I grunted, concentrating on forming yet another board from its splinters. "There are a lot of goals we could tackle together, in order to benefit both of our families, and, with any luck, all the wizarding world one day."

"Wow. You sound JUST like him. Kind of sad, really." She gasped. "You should totally go out with him! You're both really cute! The two of you would be such a sweet couple!"

"Yeah, all except for the part where we're not gay."

"Hmm…I'm pretty sure you'd be the sub and Fabian the dom…Fabian's older, bossier, and more experienced, after all, and you whine all the time and get the shit kicked out of you more than any normal person does. You ARE the more muscular and athletic one, though. And Fabian likes to pole dance. So it IS a little confusing. What are your thoughts on the matter, Pete?"

"…I think you should just read the bloody news, Tessa."

"Oh! Right! Let's see…the Daily Prophet wrote a big article on you, along with several Op-Ed pieces on the side, discussing what you are and what you represent and all that rubbish. Aren't YOU special?! So can I just read the main article? That's the one most people will read, anyway."

"You can do whatever you want," I said, laying the newly-repaired board down in the gap and securing it with a variety of sticking, anti-gravity, shielding, and stabilization spells.

"WhatEVER I want?" she asked seductively. "That's a dangerous thing to say to a girl who's not wearing any knickers."

"Tessa…"

"Fine! Mr Grumpypants…" She proceeded to read me the articles on me from the Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, and the Quibbler, mocking nearly every other sentence as she went. Listening to her androgynous, amusing voice made the work go by painlessly, though, so I just let her keep on going.

_**The Daily Prophet**_

_**New Dark Rising**_

_**by Willow Warbley**_

_Following a shockingly violent display of magic in a short but historical duel last night, Peter Pettigrew has suddenly become a key figure in the rapidly-escalating civil war. The most memorable Yule Festival in decades saw the diminutive young wizard answer the now-deceased Amycus Carrow's challenge to a Wizard's Duel on the spot, an event immediately turning the spirit of the festival on its head, from jovial leisure to bloodthirsty combat._

_Interestingly, interviews with guests at the party reveal that the majority of spectators cast their bet for Carrow over Pettigrew in a roughly 5 to 2 ratio. Our analysts believe that this massive miscalculation found its genesis in the fact that almost no observers had ever seen Pettigrew in combat before, whereas Carrow was an established battler who had reigned victorious several times in the dueling ring before. In fact, some witnesses claimed that dueling was Carrow's one strong point, as he was generally boorish and prone to offensive behavior in most social situations. Suffice to say that Carrow will not be missed…though, if Pettigrew had lost, as expected, he would likely not have been missed, either, if only for a complete lack of exposure up to this point._

_There is no question now, however, that Pettigrew was the superior wizard, both in and out of the dueling ring, despite being three years Carrow's junior. This reporter had the pleasure of interviewing Pettigrew immediately after the duel, and the fifth year Gryffindor displayed the eager intelligence and bashful charisma and charm typical of a less cultured Pureblood, who, though stumbling over his words at times, showed himself to be a much more pleasant conversationalist than anyone in the Carrow family._

_With festival host Abraxas Malfoy officiating, the brief duel proceeded as follows: Carrow unleashed a flood of various spells commonly employed by those of dark alignment, including the controversial Blood-Boiling Curse and Soul-Shriveling Curse. Pettigrew blocked every spell with a luminescent Dark Shield – he may be the youngest wizard to ever successfully employ one in an official duel – which notably made Carrow hesitate. For a moment, neither wizard casted, though Pettigrew soon employed an extraordinarily destructive spell, which impaled Carrow's body with an artillery of towering, shimmering, gemstone spears. The spell made quick work of the victim, liquidating him within seconds. Pettigrew has been noted by several observers as looking deranged and shrouded in darkness in the immediate aftermath of the spell, and, indeed, this reporter's skin crawled as the fifteen-year-old laughed and showered in Carrow's bloody, spewing remains._

_This duel is notable for a great many reasons, mostly due to the various questions it raises. Is this child, having never before battled outside of school grounds, a product of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's outlandish teaching methods? What exactly was that spell? Our researchers and spell historians have never observed its use before, nor can they definitively trace it to any documented spell in the past. Sources from the Department of Mysteries identify it as a form of Earth Magic, but do not recognize its particular makeup. Could Pettigrew or Dumbledore have created the spell? What exactly is going on in Hogwarts to allow a child access to this kind of potent destruction? Is the spell Dark, and, for that matter, is Pettigrew? Is he an insane Gryffindor crusader, or a secretive Slytherin sorted into the wrong house?_

_Pettigrew has suspiciously removed himself completely from the public eye following the events on Yule. It is notable, however, that one Molly Prewitt approached him and announced that Pettigrew and her had formed some sort of "agreement" beforehand where he would join her at the Prewitt family house should anything unexpected occur._

_From this statement, one could argue that Pettigrew, in fact, intended to showcase his abilities during the Festival in some manner. More importantly, it suggests a previously unknown allegiance between their respective families. As both have had a complex history of being grey-dark, an alliance between the two seems reasonable and likely, but an important question about them is as follows: Does his family support the Dark Lord's side, or that of the Ministry?_

_Pettigrew tellingly refused to answer. The only reasonable way to interpret such a response is that he is siding with or in support of the Dark Lord – why else would he avoid answering? The duel with Carrow must have surfaced from a simple rivalry, not from an issue of blood politics. This is a great shame and a significant cause for alarm, since a child of such great potential could grow to be a great force for good if he so wished. We can only hope that it is not too late for him._

"Well, that could've been worse," Tessa said, pleasantly.

"…In what way?!"

"Er…" she clearly was at a loss. "Um, she acknowledged your glory and awesomeness! She wouldn't have been shitting her knickers about you if you were just some punk kid! You're like…THE punk kid!"

"Yes…look how much of a rebel I am; I'm fixing your damn floors," I growled.

"You really hate this, don't ya?"

"I do. But I'll see it through to the end, don't you worry."

"You better! I like a man who doesn't give up before the job's done."

I smirked. "Are you naturally this much of a perv, or do you provide this as a special service for me?"

"Wh-what are you even talking about? I'm a perv? Get your head out of the gutter, mate."

I shook my head, reconstructing another board of the floor. "So…you said you had more articles?"

"I sure do! There's _The Quibbler_ and _Witch Weekly_ remaining."

I sighed. "Since I'm ESPECIALLY not in the mood for whatever _Witch Weekly_ has to say about me, let's just get that out of the way first."

"I don't understand your logic at all, but, if that's what you want, your wish is my command."

She cleared her throat and began, her reading voice sounding far more irritable this time for some reason.

_**Witch Weekly**_

'_**Tis the season to be drop-dead sexy**_

_**by Aquamarine Lockhart**_

_A new Yuletide gift has been packaged (and how), giftwrapped (in the finest suit of Monsieur Madresacre's Dress Silk robes this reporter has ever lain her eyes upon), and delivered (through yours truly) to single witches everywhere this year – Peter Pettigrew!_

_Shrouded in mystery, danger, and power, Peter's easily the new heartthrob of the season for all witches that can't get enough of sexy, dark wizards. His youthful, mind-blowingly chiseled body was in fine form last night as he dueled for his life, being covered only with sweat and those electrifying, hyper-tight, thin red robes. Don't worry, ladies – we've got over thirty minutes of footage of him, available for only 7 Galleons at our headquarters!_

_Peter is a fine, forbidden male specimen with the immaculate, rugged body of a Beater. It is a ridiculous body, I'm sure all our readers will agree. One might almost say that Monsieur Madresacre had his body-constricting, nearly-transparent robes designed for Peter in particular. It's difficult to look at moving pictures of him, his rippling muscles threatening to burst out, without getting lightheaded. Also…younger readers and paedophiles, avert your eyes, but…that kid is ENDOWED! Those robes are nearly pornographic, and I, for one am so glad that they are!_

_His fearless, bright blue eyes look fueled with magic itself, and his soft blonde hair completes the image – Peter is truly a far more sexy wizard than anyone that young ought to be. What I would give to be in Hogwarts again! Girls – don't waste this opportunity!_

_Although he's seemingly come out of nowhere, this dueling champion has been quietly attending Hogwarts for nearly five years, though several female classmates I interviewed claim that they never realized just how ripped and sexy he was._

_Though Peter has slain a wizard tonight that many suspected to be a Death Eater, he did so using a powerful, seemingly dark spell the likes of which the world has never seen! Although I'm no expert, I'd say Peter would have more than a fighting chance when faced against several aurors. Therefore, although Peter is single, witches strictly on the light side of the Wizarding world ought to approach him with caution, as signs point to dark affiliation of some sort._

_But, wait! Though he claims he is single, and has never even been kissed, one Molly Prewitt may have designs on him, as she swooped by in a ridiculously skanky dress and apparated him away to her home – in the middle of the interview! Hopefully he can escape before he is ensnared in her sticky web!_

_Some suspect that Peter may one day rise to claim the title of Dark Lord, given the current power and bloodlust he displays. If so, keep in mind that he'll be looking for a Dark Lady! If you're interested, (who wouldn't be?) you should try to be the one to land his legendary first kiss! That way, you'll always be important to him, no matter what._

_Peter simply has a mystique about him that attracts ordinary witches to his persona. Flip to page A-4 to get a sheet of strategic Peter seduction tips and a collectible photograph of him panting and ready to spring into action! Rawr! Also, see page A-5 for our special article, Why We Love Peter Pettigrew!_

"Holy…I don't even think there's an explicative appropriate for the kind of horrible, turgid shit that article was," I said with several shivers of horror.

"Horrible, turgid shit, I think that basically covers it," Tessa grinded out, looking wholly displeased.

"I really feel like I need a shower after hearing that. Do you think she was actually masturbating while writing that?"

Tessa threw the papers to the floor and whirled away from me, her sunset-colored hair spraying about her back as she did. "Are you kidding me?! Don't you dare get a big ego over this, Mister Pettigrew! You're just the next big thing, so everyone's freaking out over you! Got it?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not getting a big head. I'm well aware that anyone who has…THOSE kinds of feelings for me isn't real about them at all."

She exhaled a little. "Oh. That's…that's good."

"What the hell's got YOU so upset?" I asked her suspiciously. "You didn't react like this when the _Prophet_ accused me of being Voldemort's bitch!"

"I-I'm sorry, I…don't know what came over me," she sighed. "I think…reading the news was a mistake. You were right."

"Hey, I don't mind…"

"You arsehole! You DO just like getting your dick sucked by the press!"

I met her glare with a bored expression. "If you hadn't cut me off, I was going to say that I don't mind hearing you read it, simply because it helps me get my mind off the repetitive work I'm doing here. Relax, Tessa…do…you want me to get you a drink or anything?"

"No…I'm fine…I think," she sighed, holding herself tightly across the chest. "Is it just me, or is it burning up in here?"

"Well…being that it's winter and there's a giant hole in the house…"

"Oh, shut up. Maybe I'm coming down with something." She sounded strangely hopeful at the idea.

I narrowed my eyes but didn't want to push her anymore; she and I seemed to be on very peculiar terms these days. Ever since I called her cute that one time, she's been snapping off-and-on like a crazy person. I mean, more like a crazy person that usual. Molly said that she didn't have any sort of multiple personality disorders or anything like that…so what's her deal?!

Oh well.

"So," I said, "Does _Witch Weekly_ print similar articles for other up-and-coming male celebrities?"

"OH yeah," she said with a grimace. "You should see the one they wrote for the Young Lord Malfoy. I actually vomited upon finishing it."

"I can totally sympathize with you, there."

"Well, let's not mention that trashy rag anymore, shall we?" she grinned, wadding it up and throwing it out the large makeshift window. "Do I have your permission to see what _The Quibbler_ has to say about your exploits that evening?"

"I daresay you do, my lady. Now be a dear and read it for me while I conduct these repairs on your fucking basement, there's a good lass," I said in a mockery of Gilderoy's pompous swagger.

"Oh no, you've got it wrong, Sir Pettigrew – the Fucking Basement is down the hall and the first door on the right. This, my good manservant, is the Ornithology Studychamber."

"Do tell? I often get the two mixed up, I'm afraid. Is the Fucking Basement still put to use these days?"

"Well, I HARDLY think this is appropriate floor-fixing conversation, my good fellow. You can't expect a lady to reveal all that she keeps betwixt her knickers right away, you know – it could besmirch an honest gentleman's opinion of her, you understand."

"Is it just me, or…is this old fashioned discourse sort of…"

"Erotic?" she beamed with delight.

"I…was going to…NOT say that, but we'll go with erotic, sure," I beamed right back, feeling a small win at the fact that I'd again made her blush adorably. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself after our small banter. "Ready?"

"F-f-for…?" she asked worriedly.

"Um…the next article?"

"Oh, fuck! I thought you meant…er, never mind, let's move on, shall we?"

"…Okay…?"

_**The Quibbler**_

_**A New Champion**_

_**by Heliodelphia Lovegood**_

_No one could have expected a duel to break out between the heirs of the Carrow and Pettigrew family last night, but it took an even more incredible turn soon after – Carrow was decimated without a trace by an unidentified but quite powerful Earth Magic Spell. Wizardfolk over five kilometers away reported feeling its tremors._

_Due to the shocking conclusion, Pettigrew will surely become an overnight celebrity, a change helped tremendously by his near-complete anonymity before this fateful night. It's important, however, not to get ahead of ourselves and draw too many conclusions from what is essentially an honour duel. The extreme power of the Earth Magic Pettigrew used is already earning him outright suspicion and malice in the community, many evidently interpreting the spell as dark magic._

_However, when asked, Peter declined to comment on his alignment, and other reports indicate that he and his two female Prewitt family allies took down Bellatrix Black and the nefarious Lestrange brothers earlier in the evening. To make befuddle things even more, Peter had a very public argument with longtime companions James Potter and Sirius Black that same night, who are his fellow so-called Marauders and strictly light side wizards. So, what on earth IS his alignment?_

_Several witnesses at the Festival, which was held on the Malfoy grounds this year, had strong reactions to Pettigrew's demonstration._

"_He should be thrown in Azkaban immediately, or at least put under House Arrest!" Ernthistle Brown said._

_Gladys Diggory denounced him, saying, "Bloodlust? More like an unquenchable thirst for evil! There's no way I'm letting my child return to Hogwarts with a creature like him there!"_

_When asked for his opinion, Albus Dumbledore remarked, "In my humble opinion, I do believe Mr. Pettigrew was the victor of this duel," before apparating from the premises. Perhaps he misunderstood the question._

_It is important for us to keep a level head about this; although murder in the dueling circle is a bit of a moral grey area, Pettigrew has famously remained quiet and inactive for much of his young life, despite his evident virtuosity in battle. We ought to wait and see if this demonstration of power was an exception or a new standard of behavior for him before making any snap decisions on what to do about this potential threat to our security._

"Hm," I said, setting the last of the boards in for this room and letting out a massive sigh of relief. "At least it seemed to be giving me a fair shake."

"Well, _The Quibbler_'s known for bringing forth the real facts, you know, not that subjective, government-bought tripe the _Prophet_ calls news," Tessa said knowledgeably.

"Well put," I grinned. "So…I'm exhausted, and I probably smell horrible now…"

"Several degrees worse than horrible, I'm afraid," Tessa said brightly, covering her nose with her paper.

I blushed. "I'm sorry…I'll go shower right away."

"Pssh, don't worry!" Tessa beamed. "If I hated foul-smelling people, I'd have already killed myself by now!"

I chuckled a bit at that, but noticed when I'd stopped that Tessa looked strangely distant, all of a sudden. Like she was actually deep in thought, for a change. "Er…Tessa? Are you alright?"

She looked up at me, her chocolate eyes oddly unsettling somehow…I think it was due to the fact that they were unblinking and wider than usual. "Peter…may I ask you a question?" she asked very slowly.

I looked around worriedly. "Yes, but…do you want me to cast a _Muffliato_ first to give us some privacy, just in case?"

"Be my guest."

I quickly did so and then nodded to her, folding my arms and waiting.

She licked her lips, finally blinking a couple of times before looking straight at me, chilling my blood a bit with her hollow gaze. "Would you miss me, Peter? If I disappeared…and you didn't notice at first? If it turned out I'd…let's say, moved to somewhere very far away and I didn't say goodbye…would you…feel sad?"

"Well…I don't think that's a realistic question, Tessa."

"…How do you mean?"

I walked up to her and put a hand gently on her tiny, skeletal shoulder. "Of course I would notice…talking to you is one of my favorite things to do each day. I'd notice immediately if you'd left."

Her face flashed through several different colors before settling on a pale, deathly white. "Why couldn't you just make this easy for me, Pete?"

"If you just let me know what I can do to help you out…I'll do it. No matter what it is, I promise I'll do it."

She grinned, her eyes suddenly looking as deranged and predatory as they had in the bathroom the other night. Both then and now, there were plenty of tear drops clinging to her eyelids. "You can't."

"I just want to…"

"Stop talking," she breathed in a sort of sultry voice, the air from her lungs washing over my lips. "You're…just so…god damned annoying."

I nodded, standing and waiting for her to make her next move. I hadn't forgotten Molly's warnings about the danger associated with Tessa, but I also felt that, in order to make any kind of progress with the unhinged girl, I had to put myself out of my comfort zone a little.

"If I fell…" she said, mouthing a few extra words in thought, before speaking up again, "If I fell through the hole sometime over break…you'd save me, wouldn't you? You'd be there to catch me, wouldn't you? Even if I told you not to be?"

"Tessa…I want to always be there to catch you. You're, like, the ONLY person, other than Remus, who's stuck by me through my hardest months. It's all I can do to return the favor."

"So…you hanging out with me this break is a sort of like…you holding up your part of a bargain?"

"No, of course not! You are my best friend right now." I didn't REALLY consider her that, but it felt like the right thing to say. "And part of being a best friend is always being there for the other person to rely on. Alright? You don't have anything to fear while I'm around, Tessa." I said with a shy smile, which she returned.

"O-okay."

"Feel like getting the hell away from this hole?"

"Yeah. Too much sentimentality's going on unchecked here for my tastes," she said, making a grossed-out grimace. We walked out the door and strolled lazily towards the living area.

"I wonder whose fault THAT is? Guys aren't programmed to talk about this kind of stuff, you know," I pointed out to her.

"Hey now, don't be telling those kinds of lies. People might get the wrong idea about me. Besides, YOU were the one who wasn't able to think of any way to express himself but through horrible lines like 'OH! You don't have anything to fear while I'm around!'"

"Shut up, you liked it."

"If I did, it's only because of how lovably moronic it made you look."

"Thanks for that."

"No problem. That's what I'm here for."

"Oh, so I support you and you pick on me for laughs?"

"That's basically our friendship in a nutshell. I'm glad you've caught on."

"Just because I've caught on doesn't mean I approve of it," I muttered.

I overheard Molly whispering to one of her brothers through a cracked-open door as we passed by, "See? I told you! They're head-over-heels for each other!"

I wasn't about to let a comment like THAT slide, so I grabbed the doorknob and swung it open, smacking Molly and Fabian away. "Oh, I'm sorry! I had no idea anyone was here! My bad! Carry on with your eavesdropping," I invited them with a grin (Fabian looked pissed, as usual), returning to a chuckling Tessa. "Damn am I excited for my shower!"

"Trust me, I am FAR more excited for it than you are," she said with a wink.

* * *

><p>A couple days later, I announced to the Prewitts that I'd completed the repairs.<p>

"I think you mean _we_ completed the repairs," Tessa corrected.

I sighed. "Fine…Tessa helped."

"You're god damn right I did, bitch!" she said with an innocent grin that didn't match her words. She'd basically gone back to being herself after my cheesy "I'll always be there for you" speech. Odd, since she seemed not to take my words seriously at all, going as far as to mock them. I can't pretend to understand women, though; especially women named Tessa.

"Very well," Gideon said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I'll go evaluate your work. Make sure you take a look at some of your mail, would you? It's getting a bit unmanageable."

I nodded and went into the next room over, jumping in alarm. There was an enormous pile of mail addressed to me, which had more or less taken over the brothers' desk.

I shrugged and cast, "_Accio mail from classmates,_" receiving, strangely, only a handful of letters. Who the hell sent all the others? I pilfered through them and recognized the names of many ministry officials, politicians, businessmen, and family lords. I grimaced, having no desire to see people sucking up to me in print (or cursing me in print, as I'm sure was the case for some of them). I pocketed the mail from my classmates and searched through the pile to find the responses from my father and from Carrow, Sr.

I then sat on a loveseat in the room and opened up the first letter.

Tessa peeked her head in through the door. "Heya Pete! If you'd like, I could sit on your lap and read your letters out loud to you while you rest your eyes!"

"Hmm…" I pretended to consider it. "Are you wearing any knickers today?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "I can't remember exactly…hmmm…let's see…oh! Right, I'm going commando at the moment."

"Then I'm afraid not this time, sorry."

"Dammit! I thought I had you this time!" she cursed in mock regret. "You will rue this day, Mr. Pettigrew! Maybe not today…maybe not tomorrow…but one day, you'll fall prey to some serious, hardcore ruing!"

After she slammed the door, I shook my head exasperatedly and slid the letter out the sleeve.

_Heya Wormtail,_

_How the hell are you, mate? Listen, what you did at the Festival really gave the Wizarding World a severe herniated disc. That was badass, in all sorts of ways._

_Most importantly, though…have you gotten any action from your exploits? I couldn't help but notice that the exceedingly buxom Molly Prewitt whisked you away from the Festival. You better have nailed her, mate, or I really will begin a campaign to get you to come out of your comfortable poofing wonderland! I mean, that is one woman whose breasts really should be venerated by wizardkind till the end of days. There's no excuse not to cop a feel, at the very least. I expect a report on your exploits, stat!_

_Also, please disregard what Prongs said at the party – I don't share his thoughts on the matter at all. You'll always be a Marauder to me, even if you turn out to be into dicks more than chicks. See what I did there? That's right. I rhymed. Deal with it, Pettigrew!_

_Like I said at that sorry excuse for a festival, James has been moping around and lashing out at everyone for a while from plain old, sheer unresolved sexual tension. I keep telling him to just roll around with one of his five thousand or so fangirls, but he won't have it, the ponce! And now he's taking it out on the rest of us. While I'm campaigning for you to become more comfortable with your peter-puffing inner self this year, I'll also be campaigning for him to start lowering his standards, and, thus, drawers, just for a tiny bit._

_Anyway, as soon as you stop reading, I order you to wander over to Molly, tell her that even angels pale in comparison to her fantastic beauty, that you don't know what you would've done without her, and then give her a warm, gentlemanly hug; with no erection, as impossible as that sounds. That method always works for me. She'll at least get wet, guaranteed – don't worry, she's thought about it. No, really - she's certainly thought about it! There's NO way she'd save your neck from the paparazzi like that if she hadn't._

_Let's go witch hunting in Hogsmeade next semester, alright? With your fame and my looks, we're going to have more anal sex than we know what to do with! With, you know…witches. Not…each other. Right. Well._

_HAPPY BOINKING!_

_Your ally in conquering the female species,_

_Padfoot_

I don't really know what to say to that…I'm glad he still feels that we're on good terms, though. Actually, since he is acquainted with the vast majority of women in the school, I've been meaning to ask him if he knows the identity of the white-haired girl from my dreams. I'll do just that, actually.

After I wrote him a brief response, agreeing to go witch hunting with him sometime soon and describing in detail the girl from my dreams, I opened Remus's letter.

_Dear Peter,_

_I've heard tell of your performance at the Yule Festival this year – that spell you used was one of the ones I helped you obtain, correct? I hope you're pleased with the results, though I'm concerned that the wizarding world is starting to get too paranoid about you. As a werewolf, I can tell you that a paranoid population is a dangerous thing to find yourself up against. Anyway, I hope that you're well, and that you can stay safe till you return to Hogwarts._

_You may recall that you owe me a favor; I'd like to call it in now, if you're available Thursday night. I have some grave news about a new threat that I'd like you to help me sabotage. Telling you more through Owl Mail would be too dangerous – indeed, I may have said too much already – but I'd like to meet you at 8 PM tomorrow at the Leaky Cauldron._

_Thanks in advance, and please be as discreet as possible,_

_Remus_

A new threat? My curiosity is certainly peaked. I'll definitely be there. With any luck, it'll have something to do with bringing down the Dark Lord.

On to Lily!

_Dearest Peter,_

_I hope you're doing well this break! I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas, and let you know that I'm very disappointed in how rarely I got to spend time with you this past term. That is going to change from now on, Mister Pettigrew! You need to make it up to me, okay? Good, glad we got that settled. I know you're shy and self-conscious, but, to tell you a secret, I am, too. That's why I think we get on so well._

_I want to be there for you, Peter; you're one of my best male friends, you know._

_Remember to do your potions homework for the break, my fellow Honorary Potions Master! I expect to be impressed when I see you next!_

_Love,_

_Lily_

Wow…I feel a little guilty for just how turned on that letter made me. But she said "Love, Lily!" And told me I NEED to make it up to her! I mean, damn…could it be…POSSIBLE…that she likes me? I'd love it if she did, but James would force-feed me my own crotch if that turned out to be the case, so…on to, er…Rita?

_Dear Peter,_

_I hope you're alright with me writing you; I'm sure you're getting a deluge of mail, after all, owing to your heartstopping duel last night! I was freaking out when it first started, since I thought you were surely going to die. Thanks for surviving, and for doing it so gloriously! It was an amazing sight._

_Okay, with regard to our last conversation, I thought about it a great deal while lying awake in bed last night (no, not like that!) and came to the conclusion that, when viewed objectively, you only told me you loved me and wanted to marry me in order to shut me up so you could go and duel Carrow. After all, you had already attempted to dismiss me several times before you abruptly said all that stuff. I feel very embarrassed that I didn't detect your obvious sarcasm at the time, and I hope you don't think too little of my intelligence because of that._

_At any rate, pathetic though it may be, I'd like to believe you have at least a slight interest in us getting to know each other. I know we've only rarely interacted in the past, and it must seem quite suspicious for me to only say so now that you're exceedingly famous, but I really would like to get to know you better. You have my word that I would refrain from reporting on anything concerning you unless you gave me your explicit permission to do so; I'd be willing to swear it on an Unbreakable Vow, if you wanted. I'm sure this must sound like a ridiculously odd request, and I apologize. I really hope you don't see me as a psychotic fangirl or a fame vampire. The only reason I bring it up is due to the warm feeling I got when you claimed that you loved me. I won't fool myself into thinking that anything along those romantic lines would be remotely possible, but I'd dearly love to simply be your friend. Believe it or not, I have very few of those._

_I perfectly understand if you're not interested. I realize that this is a very odd way to propose a friendship, after all, and you don't seem to regard me in much of a positive light, anyway. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try, though, because I badly want you in my life._

_Please respond, no matter your answer! My heart's already pounding, and the waiting hasn't even begun!_

_With sisterly love,_

_Rita_

_P.S. I'll never, ever write a defaming article about you again – I apologize profusely for everything I've ever written about you in print. If there's anything at all I can do to make it up to you, I'll do it. Just let me know._

Wow…How very surprising. Well…I suppose it couldn't hurt to give friendship with her a try, ESPECIALLY if she makes an Unbreakable Vow not to use me as fodder for her newspaper. I am aware of her lack of actual friends, after all, so I feel sympathetic about her.

Also, I was ashamed to realize that reading "If there's anything at all I can do to make it up to you, I'll do it" made my mind leap immediately to having anal sex with her. There's got to be something wrong with me…I must've been around Sirius for too long.

None of the other letters from classmates interested me…notably, James had not sent anything, which made me feel bitter and depressed. I hadn't really expected anything to the contrary, of course, but it was a grave reminder about how badly I'd butchered my friendships this term. I was lucky that the others were so forgiving.

Thus, I moved on to the letter from dear old dad.

_Peter,_

_I see that you've taken all my advice about moving slowly, carefully, and subtly behind the scenes in society, and taken an enormous, clumsy Gryffindor-sized shit on it. You are a complete idiot, period._

_However, as you pointed out over supper, enormous might can be wielded thoughtfully, and to impressive ends. You seem to have lucked out – I didn't believe your mother when she said you'd harnessed the magics of our family. After all, you are the first Pettigrew in ten generations to do so, which is why no one recognizes the spell (spell analysts were rare in those days). You have certainly done the Gryffindor side of your ancestors proud._

_Now that you've displayed your potential, though, I would advise you to back off from showmanship, at least for the time being. You need to take advantage of your advantageous social position to strike fear into the hearts of all and make a name for yourself. A name people fear for its intelligence, wit, strategy, AND power._

_You've already made one smart move – landing an alliance with the Prewitts was a combination of sheer, bumbling luck and apt analysis. There is no question that they will raise our family stature infinitely more than the Carrows ever could have. Be sure to make at least one more major public appearance with a female Prewitt on your arm before the end of your winter holiday, to solidify our union with the family in the public eye._

_It is a good idea to try and impregnate one of the female Prewitts, as well. I don't entertain any great hope for you being able to accomplish this particular task, given your lack of sly subtlety, but if you see an opportunity, by all means, knock one of the girls up. You are staying with two, correct? I can advise you more on this when you return home (which you should do at least once before returning to Hogwarts). Tread carefully for now, and take great care not to push them away or offend them._

_We must do whatever is necessary to end the marriage contract with the Carrows – do what you can, but I fear we may have to turn to more unseemly methods to separate ourselves from them. Now that your star has risen significantly, they will do whatever it takes to hold on to this contract._

_Best of luck,_

_Victor Pettigrew_

Alright then. I'd already been planning on returning home. And I certainly didn't think knocking up one of the Prewitts was likely at this point, so, as much as I'd like to do just that, I was going to have to ignore that command for now.

But making a public appearance, hm? I wonder if I could get Tessa to hit up Diagon Alley with me this week? After forcing her to clean herself up, though, of course. Actually…she'd probably take offense at being made to look her best, since, well…that's just how she is. I wonder what I can do on that front, then.

Deciding to read over his letter again later, I turned to my last important one.

_Mr. Pettigrew,_

_Please don't be so formal – we're future in-laws, after all! By all means, come on over anytime tomorrow afternoon. I'll clear my schedule for you, and my dutiful daughter will naturally be present, as well. We have very much to plan, after all._

_Do not worry about Amycus's passing, either, it was wholly his fault, since he was moronic enough to challenge you to a duel. I view it as a blessing, in fact – Amycus was in no way deserving of carrying on the Carrow family name. Since I need a new heir, this gives me an excuse to actually fornicate with my prudish wife, for once!_

_To your good health,  
>Aedipos Carrow<em>

Ugh…he makes me sick. How can he shrug off his son's death like that, and force his daughter to marry her brother's killer? Dammit...my father was right, this was going to be tough. I'd better let him know to prepare an unseemly method or two.

I also remember asking Molly and Tessa for their assistance in uncovering a method to deal with the marriage situation. I wonder if they've come up with any legal loopholes or ideas I can work with…

I stretched, my back popping painfully back into place. Time to start fixing this mess.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And that's a wrap for this update. I realize that not much terribly fascinating happened this time...well, I mean, it probably depends on what you find interesting. Rest assured, however, that this story is one that has LOTS of plot to cover, so even the comparative "down time" is still leading somewhere.

Be sure and let me know what you think of anything and everything!

I apologize on behalf of the Prewitt twins for their rude welcoming of Peter - keep in mind, though, that they just lost a major part of their family history, and to a bratty, upstart (likely) Dark acolyte kid with a massive erection and pink booty shorts. I mean, there's only a handful of reactions they could possibly have at that point, and most of them involve PAIN. XD

Please don't run away! I have so much more story to tell! :) Next update, we get a standoff with the Carrows, Peter going on a date (!), and a hefty helping of Remus and Peter in action! And don't worry, I'll slowly reveal more about Tessa and her condition.

See you next time, all you ridiculously awesome people!


	8. Carrow's Wild Ride

**A/N: **Hullo everyone! I'm sorry for the long wait – I got sucked into a game on my PS3 and only recently escaped. :x (This is often a cause of my various breaks in writing – such is the price of having a burning passion for both gaming and writing, heh) However, I'm still very excited to take this story to all kinds of new places, and I hope to keep the writing and plot as fresh as I can. :)

I've always planned on gradually branching the POV's out to display the experiences and perspectives of the other characters in this alternate reality. Peter will always be the central figure, though, as he's the primary impetus of change. Would you all be okay with that?

Now that that's out of the way – on to the story! :D I hope you enjoy it immensely.

* * *

><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter 8 – Carrow's Wild Ride**

My father arrived by floo in the Prewitts' living room much more gracefully than I usually managed, despite him still bearing some injuries and painful-looking burns from the severe thrashing I'd dealt him the other day.

"Good day to the both of you," he said to Molly and I, drawing himself up to his full height and sucking in his stomach in an apparent effort to impress the gorgeous witch, "Victor Pettigrew at your service, milady. It is an honor to be welcomed into your spectacular home."

"Molly Prewitt. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said with an amused smile as he kissed her proffered hand. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice."

"I would never allow myself to decline a meeting with a family of your caliber and honor, Miss Prewitt. And, if I may say, there is a simply magnificent aroma in your home. Is that, by any chance, the meal we will be sharing?"

"It is, indeed," Molly said with a large smile. Apparently she's more susceptible to my father's charms than mine…or else she's just faking it to be polite. I took a moment to run my eyes over her ridiculously cute silk dress robe – she'd obviously dressed to impress, which I found a little odd, but, hey, this will be the first official meeting between the heads of our two families, so I can't blame her. "My brothers are already in the dining room; you are welcome to join them there."

"Fantastic!" my father beamed. I could sense he was truly in a very good mood.

"Peter, if you could show him the way, I'll resume assisting Tessa with her preparations upstairs," Molly said, turning to me. As always, I felt my face heat up at the eye contact.

"Certainly," I said with a slight nod.

After she smiled and excused herself, I casted a _Muffliato _and leaned in to my father. "Father, I would advise you not to mention the Dark Lord around them…Gideon and Fabian are aurors, you understand."

My father turned his head up slightly. "I do think I understand a thing or two about courteous discussion topics, and even more so about the Prewitts' stance on those matters, thank you very much. I certainly would never need any advice from the likes of you."

I raised my hands in a gesture of pacifism. "There's no harm in reminding you, is there? I'm just trying to help things go smoothly however I can."

He sneered and continued to refuse to look at me. "How you can help most, 'son,' is by sitting down, not talking, and doing as you're told. I can see why you need my help in planning your extraction from the marriage contract if this is the extent of your capacity for cunning."

Thanks, father, for the continued vote of confidence. "I'm not claiming to have any expertise in this sort of thing whatsoever; however, I'd like to remind you that it was you and mother who got us into this mess in the first place. Your capacity for cunning seems somewhat limite…"

SMACK! My father backhanded me midsentence, causing me to bite through my tongue. "Show some respect, boy. You realize, don't you, that it was your fault that we had so little to work with? This is the customary age for our family to set up these contracts, and despite being aware of this, you did nothing in school to make yourself more marketable." We glared at each other, in full knowledge that we couldn't exactly break into a duel at the moment. My father took a deep breath and continued, "However, as we've briefly discussed, you have done well to maneuver yourself into this Ancient and Noble House's good graces. And that Molly…is a truly fine specimen of a woman."

I chuckled, swallowing the blood oozing from my tongue. "Tell me about it."

"Have you fucked her?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

I stammered, shocked that he was speaking so bluntly. "I-I, um…I'm working on getting closer to her, I…"

He rolled his eyes. "I thought not. I saw no affection for you in her eyes." He sighed. "Damn this accursed Pettigrew luck that my son would inherit absolutely none of my charm with the opposite gender." He looked at me again. "If you can kill a murderer as flawlessly as you did this week, then surely you can seduce a mere woman, can you not?"

I sighed. "Like you just said quite accurately, I am beyond useless when it comes to the art of seduction."

"You guileless fool," he growled. "If you do not move quickly, you will certainly lose your opportunity with her. Beautiful women give allow themselves just a very brief window of time of consideration before concluding whether a suitor would make either an acceptable mate or a mere friend, if that. You may well have already missed your chance with this one."

"That is a possibility, unfortunately," I said. "However, I believe that more candidates will come about as a result of my demonstration at the Festival last week."

"I'll grant you that," my father said, nodding. "Although typically only Gryffindor witches find great power sexually attractive. You'll want a proper Pureblood Slytherin female, one who values cunning and intelligence above all else, not some moronically headstrong wench from your House. Gryffindor women have the least success in politics, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Funny you should say that; both the Prewitt girls are Gryffindors, you see."

"Indeed? They must be the exception," my father said, stroking his goatee. "And how are you progressing with the younger female?"

"I'd say that I've made at least some progress with her," I said, though I didn't want to get his hopes up about Tessa, as the unhinged girl wasn't exactly politically viable in any way save for her family ties.

"We'll see. At any rate, we've kept them waiting long enough, don't you think?"

"I agree," I said, nodding and leading him through the kitchen and into the dining room, rubbing my stinging cheek.

The Prewitt brothers rose from the food-adorned oak table to greet us. "Welcome to the historic home of the Prewitt family, Lord Pettigrew," Gideon said, gesturing widely as he spoke.

"Father, this is Gideon Prewitt, the current Head of the Prewitt family and a seat holder of the Wizengamot, and his brother Fabian. Gideon, this, as you've guessed, is my good father, Victor Pettigrew."

"I thank you for the clumsy, needless introduction, son." my father sneered to me succinctly. "We are both very much aware of each other due to our interactions at the Ministry." He bowed his head to the brothers. "It is a great honor to be invited here, Milords."

"May the boon of our alliance enrich both our houses," Gideon declared.

"Feel free to take a seat," Fabian invited, so my father and I sat down before the freshly prepared ham dinner and its various mind-numbingly delicious sides. "Molly has graciously lent us the offer to begin dining without her and our cousin Tessa, now that you've arrived, of course."

"It would be my pleasure," I said with a grin, but my father interrupted my arm's reach with his palm.

"We wouldn't dream of dining outside the presence of the culinary artist behind this impressive feast!" he informed them.

"Please, Lord Pettigrew, I insist," Gideon requested, a very slight hint of desperation on his face. I knew how much trouble he'd been having holding himself back all this time.

I looked at my dad with slight exasperation. _Do you really intend to irritate the Lord Prewitt?_ I asked him through Legilimency.

_We will score points with the Prewitt ladies if we wait for them, you brainless goat!_ He admonished me. I grimaced at hearing him say the phrase "score points." As if a woman Molly's age would ever spring for him!

_I'm fairly certain that offending the Lord is much more serious than offending the lady in this case_, I thought to him with a glare.

_You gluttonous pig_, he thought back derisively after a moment. "Very well; it would be our distinct pleasure to dine with you gentlemen."

Gideon and I grinned before heaping generous helpings of delicious food glazed with brown sugar onto our plates.

As my father waited patiently, he said, "Forgive me, but I was not aware that the two of you were twins. That does not seem to be a well-circulated fact in our world, so I wonder – is that done on purpose?"

"But of course," Fabian said smoothly. "Very often, I'll secretly attend the Wizengamot in my brother's stead. It just so happens that I have more of a flair for politics, you see, while he's the superior duelist."

Gideon nodded. "Due to this fact, I make most of our outdoor public appearances as Lord Prewitt – that way, if an assassination attempt ever occurred for any reason, I'd be better able to defend myself."

"Fascinating," my father mused. "It is unfortunate that the social climate is so heated that safety measures such as these are required. I'm certain that another reason you are secretive about this is due to the Dark Lord's stance on twins?"

I gave my father a blatant warning glare, but Fabian continued, unoffended. "Naturally. His belief that us twins are in some way a blemish on Wizarding Society is, while completely preposterous, unfortunately shared by many in the Wizengamot. It's a shame that wizards as a whole are so uneducated in matters of simple biology."

"It certainly is a pity," my father said, pursing his lips. He was doing a fine job at playing a moderate. "Our society seems increasingly quick to judge anyone these days. It's a sign of our exacerbated uncertainty in ourselves that many of us seek value and fulfillment in hate and slaughter for wholly unimportant differences."

"War is upon us," Gideon said, setting down his goblet. "The Ministry will not yet admit it, but there is no other feasible end to these developments. As always, the historical Dark Lord cycle has swung back around to its titular climax."

I noticed my father frown, his faith in Voldemort at risk of coming to the surface, so I quickly spoke up to take control of the conversation – I did want it to continue, now that my interest was sufficiently peaked, but I had to make sure to talk over my father, just in case. "I've heard tell that this guy is the most powerful Dark Lord in generations – as aurors, do you know if there's any truth to this?"

Gideon nodded gravely. "I haven't yet encountered him, but all reports indicate that the sheer power he commands is utterly unstoppable. He vaporized an entire city in Ireland instantaneously just last month. A clear threat, that, just to get us shaking in our boots."

"No one has even once managed to block one of his spells in combat," Fabian said with a frown. "We're fortunate that he's such a careful Slytherin that he hasn't already rampaged through and leveled England to the ground."

"Why is he biding his time, do you think? He hasn't issued any demands, has he?" I asked after swallowing a mouthful of friggin' orgasmic casserole.

Gideon looked at Fabian before answering, "He hasn't made any official demands, and likely never will. Any demands that mean anything, at least. Even if we locked up every Mudblood male in workcamps and sold every female into slavery, he would still keep fighting."

I blinked at his use of the racial slur, but kept listening in interest. Apparently he didn't have any particular fondness for the massive British population of Muggleborns. Perhaps he'd get along better with my father than I had first anticipated.

"He's not one of the more noble Dark Lords in history, that's for sure," Gideon continued, "He only cares about conquering and ruling."

"Then why hasn't he? Conquered and ruled, I mean," I asked. "If that's his only goal, what's the point of being so ludicrously careful when he could just waltz anywhere in the world and claim it for himself with barely any effort?"

"Two main reasons," Fabian said. "At least as far as I can tell. The Dark Lord values all magical blood, and doesn't wish to cause undue death, even to Mudbloods, despite his intense hatred for them. He knows that their genes are necessary for the Wizarding World to keep the bloodlines alive and healthy. Reports indicate that he would prefer throwing them all in sex camps, as Gideon alluded to. The other is that, if the Dark Lord makes too big of a stance, he fears that Dumbledore will finally get involved and destroy him."

"So…fear of Dumbledore is really the only reason our society hasn't been corrupted into a slavery state?" I asked, stroking the peach fuzz on my chin. "So, in a way, perhaps it's good that Dumbledore hasn't gone into battle yet, as the unspoken threat must be doing wonders in slowing down the Dark Lord. We wouldn't want to risk the Headmaster possibly falling in battle at this stage in the conflict, either."

"Indeed," Fabian said. "But it's clear that we must begin planning additional methods by which we can fell the Dark Lord, seeing as we can't rely on Dumbledore to take the offensive, as it seems these days."

"SO!" My father said abruptly, having apparently finally reached his limit on Dark Lord villainizing for the day. "Why don't we discuss something less grave and more befitting this bountiful feast? Such as our plans for usurping this marriage contract, for instance."

Fabian smiled graciously. "Very well. We don't anticipate it being too extremely difficult, despite the stubbornness indicated in Lord Carrow's response. We have several ploys for Peter and Tessa to make use of in this meeting, including one which calls for Peter to summon the rest of our family with the brooch I lent him."

I held up said brooch for my dad to see.

"I see. Sounds promising. And I imagine you selected Tessa to accompany him due to the similarity of their ages? A hypothetical marriage between the two would seem more likely, given that fact."

"It is as you say, Lord Pettigrew," Fabian continued. "However, in return for our assistance with ridding your son of this contract he's trapped in, I'd like to make a proposal. You do not have to accept, naturally, since, because we are now allies, we'd lend our aid to Peter and your family at no price."

"Well, let's hear it," my father invited him.

"We'd like for Peter to make a Pact of Protection with Tessa. He would not in any way be expected to wed her or do anything of the sort with her, at any time. No, it would merely ensure that they would both feel an obligation to keep one another safe at all times."

"That sounds good to me," my father said, not even bothering to look at me for a response. I was excited to do this, anyway; if I was in a Pact of Protection with Tessa, there's NO way I'd ever kill her like I had in the prophetic visions!

I decided to add my input. "I have no issue with that arrangement; in fact, I'd be thrilled to be Tessa's protector. I wonder, though; is there any particular reason she needs one?"

"Peter," my father admonished softly.

"What? Is the simple premise of protecting one's family member not reason enough?" Fabian asked with a wry smile. "You are correct in your assumption that there's more to it, however. Tessa has…accumulated a number of enemies who wish her nothing but pain and suffering in life. Some may even attempt to kill her at some point. Our family…Gideon, Molly, and I, that is…have judged you worthy and capable of keeping her safe from nefarious plots." Gideon nodded in agreement.

I wondered if these grudges against her had anything to do with Tessa's history of violent behavior that Molly told me about. I didn't mind, though – I liked Tessa, past crimes and all, and I couldn't imagine myself ever wanting to see her hurt.

"I have no issue with your proposal," I said, bowing my head.

"Good! Now then…ah! Here's the lady of the hour!" Gideon said as we all rose to greet the lovely Prewitt girls. Indeed, though Tessa's usually far from attractive, she looked nothing short of radiant and desirable as she descended the steps in a tight strapless silk gown of deep green. I'm not sure what Molly did to her, exactly, but her skin actually looked…healthy, miraculously! And her hair looked clean and, dare I say it, sexy, as it cascaded gently and silkily over her desirable, bared shoulders.

Oh, and her breasts were jiggling quite a bit as she walked, too, which is always a nice plus.

Molly was also SELLING it in a HOT violet cocktail dress, with a shockingly plunging neckline. And I'll just leave it at that so I don't ejaculate. These are new pants, after all.

I assumed that Molly was already dressed up for the public appearance her and I were planning to make that afternoon in Diagon Alley.

Tessa soon noticed my eyes roving her body and made a face of disgust…I suppose I should have tried a tiny bit harder to conceal my ogling.

Molly walked Tessa over to my father. "This is the esteemed Lord Victor Pettigrew, our guest for today," she informed Tessa. "Lord Pettigrew, this is my cousin Tessa Prewitt, who has been living in our family home for two years now."

"It is a deep pleasure and an honour to make your acquaintance, Miss Prewitt," my father said, taking Tessa's skeletal wrist to his lips, causing her to flush a deep red. "I look forward to getting to know you."

Tessa cleared her throat. "I-it's a privilege to meet you too, Lord Pettigrew…er, um…how do you like your women?" she asked with heavy-lidded eyes.

My father's jaw dropped, though he quickly tried to regain his footing. "N-n-now, see here…"

"Oh, whoops! Did I say women? I meant our house! HAH! How do you like our house? Sorry, I get those two words mixed up sometimes," she said with a broad smile, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"I-it's very lovely," he said, continuing in a lower voice. "Much like yourself, young lady."

Tessa merely raised her eyebrows in surprised amusement, while Fabian and I gaped, Gideon frowned, and Molly shouted, "She's fourteen!"

My father merely chuckled. "I didn't mean it flirtatiously, I was just pointing out a simple point."

"Indeed? Well, you're not a bad sight yourself, stranger." She then pointed to her breasts, and the Prewitts and I groaned in anticipation of what might follow. "What do you think of my titties today? Be honest! I worked really hard on 'em." She snorted. "I just said hard-on. In case you missed that."

"Tessa!" Molly admonished her sharply. "Stop speaking immediately!"

"Uh, wh-wh-what did you just say?" My father gasped, looking at Tessa in shock. "Y-your…breasts…"

"Titties, I think, is the more respectful word," she claimed, chin raised haughtily.

"They're, um…they're…"

"You don't have to answer that, father," I said, striding forth and pulling Tessa away from him before something horrific happened. I didn't know what that would be, exactly, but I was certain that something truly scarring was on the cusp of occurring. "What the hell are you doing?" I whispered to her once we were a few feet away.

"Hey Pete!" she chirped. "It's not my fault. You didn't tell me your dad was so HOT! I wasn't prepared for so much rampant sexiness this early in the day, so I just started talking. I can't help myself when that happens! You know how it is, bitch!"

I looked over at my father and saw that he had indeed heard what she just said, as he was now standing straighter, with his chest puffed out just a bit more.

"I'm fairly certain I'm not the right person to consult for such things," I said exasperatedly. "But most magical adults, as you may well know, retain their youth for a long time. He's…older than he looks." I was careful to say it loud enough for him to overhear, and he glared at me furiously as a result. Which is weird, since he's obviously married. And since Tessa's fourteen. But whatever.

"Psssh, I don't care, as long as his butt's as tight as it is!" she beamed. "DAMN, I'd like to have me some of that!"

"Well," my father said, approaching us again. "She's got a bit of a rough manner of speaking…and behaving, hasn't she? But she does look lovely. I'm impressed." That's a shock! Although, if you take into account how much she was flirting with him, perhaps it's less of a shock that I'd have ordinarily wanted it to be.

Tessa gave him a slutty wink. "You have NO idea how rough I can be, baby."

"And I'm sure he doesn't want to find out, does he?" I looked at my dad meaningfully.

"Focus, Tessa, focus!" Fabian said. "Your, er…uniqueness…is showing."

"Oh, it is? Thanks for letting me know," she said, twisting around to inspect her arse. "Hey, you liar! This dress isn't THAT short."

Fabian groaned and looked at Gideon pleadingly.

"Listen, Tessa, we've got good news," Gideon began.

"Sweet. That's the best kind, in my opinion," she said, trotting back over to the table.

"Yes, well…in return for our assistance with the Carrow matter…"

"Call it the 'Carrow Crisis!' Alliteration is pretty god damned sexy, you have to admit," she informed my dad, who was just staring at her in amazement now.

Gideon kept at it. "…the Pettigrews have agreed to enter Peter into a Pact of Protection with you, ensuring your continued safety for the rest of your…"

"No," she said, abruptly turning stone-cold serious.

Gideon blinked. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Tessa looked around nervously, her eyes falling on me. "I'm, um…better off without one of those, I think, if it's all the same to you."

"What insolence!" my father crowed. "Your family Lord has made a declaration! You can't seriously think to…"

"Shhh…Honey? You're cuter when you don't talk," Tessa informed him, placing her finger daintily on his lips. "Anyway, I outright refuse to be bonded with Peter for the rest of our lives. No offense, of course, mate," she said.

"How could I possibly NOT be offended?" I cried. "It's not like there's any romantic aspect to this! All it means is that I'll always strive to protect you from harm! And I WANT to always keep you safe, so what's your problem with me?"

"My problem is that you don't even know me!" she said with a frown. "Not yet, anyway. If you did, you wouldn't want to do this for me."

"I know enough to know that I never want harm to befall you," I said. Molly gave me an appreciative smile. "I just don't understand what issue you could possibly take with that!"

Her head fell, everyone in the room at rapt attention. "Peter, if you want to protect me, be my guest. You don't need a pact for that. It's not that part that I have an issue with."

"What, then?"

"It's the forever part. You'd always, always belong in my life from now on." She looked up, with glistening sparkles in her eyes. "That would be a nightmare for me."

I stared at her, feeling a mix of pain and rejection that I hadn't felt since Alice turned me down. "I-I-I…how can you even SAY something like that?"

"Sorry," she mouthed, looking at me sadly. She drew herself up, all eyes on her, and her expression relaxed into a more personable one. "I'm terribly sorry, everyone, but I'm afraid I must decline."

Grinding my teeth together, I closed my eyes and took deep, calming breaths. I couldn't let this get to me. Tessa has always been completely bizarre and, sometimes, really mean. This was no different. Just Tessa being Tessa. I wanted to press her about it later, but she'd probably just laugh it off and act like she hadn't said anything at all.

This sucks.

My father looked at Gideon incredulously. The Prewitt Lord sighed and said, "Tessa…you simply MUST pick someone to protect you. And if you won't trust any of the teachers, nor Peter, who will do?"

"No one," she said, looking sadly away. In a voice that only I could hear, she whispered in a depressed hush, "If someone wants to kill me, I deserve it."

A chill went down my spine as I realized what she said, but she just returned my questioning gaze with a look of blank innocence. Whatever was bothering her, she apparently didn't want to discuss it.

Fabian cleared his throat. "We'll speak of this later, Tessa, but for now, on to our plotting!"

I shook my head of all feelings of dejectedness in order to better focus on my goal.

An hour later, as we stood before the Prewitts' crackling fireplace, I felt Tessa's trembling hand slip into mine. Was she actually worried about this? That didn't seem like a typical response for her.

"Ready?" I asked her with a gentle smile. I didn't want to force her into doing this if she wasn't mentally prepared.

"Oh, yes. Probably," she said, sounding truly nervous.

"Don't worry, you don't need to say anything at all," I told her in an effort to reassure her. "I've got this covered. I just need you here with me." She gave a weak smile and nodded a couple times. She and I hadn't yet discussed her outright denial of my offer of lifelong friendship, and I didn't dare to when we had so much else going on. Things were certainly a bit more awkward between us than they had been, though.

"Tessa…" Molly said with concern from behind us.

"I'll be fine," she snapped back.

"Good luck, Pettigrew," Fabian said, strolling forward and handing me an urn of floo powder. "I am confident that we'll succeed, one way or another."

"You're damn right we will," I said with a cocky grin. I squeezed Tessa's sweaty hand. "Come on. Let's go get me single again."

She laughed nervously as she led me into the firepit. "Okay. Let's."

"Carrow Estate!" I declared, casting the powder downwards, the flames rising to painlessly consume our bodies.

* * *

><p>After the familiarly slurping feeling, the two of us popped out in a dismally decorated stone chamber, her hand still tightly squeezing mine. I sincerely hoped Tessa's shaking wasn't as visible as it felt. I would have reassured her again, but Lord Aedipos Carrow was standing right before us, his slack, sallow face stretched into a grin of some kind. His eyes were noticeably circled by dark, blackened skin, a sure sign of lifelong Dark Magic usage. A very hesitant, emotional-looking Alecto Carrow stood behind him, her presence barely felt in the room at all. Both were dressed in elaborate fur robes, intended to impress and intimidate.<p>

"You actually came," Aedipos observed. I tensed a bit, prepared to draw my wand if needed – his words could indicate a trap of some sort. "Welcome to the Carrow Estate, and your future home, young Pettigrew!"

I relaxed and slightly inclined my head. "I thank you for having me, Lord Carrow."

Aedipos clapped his hands, seemingly jubilant. "Fantastic! You look marvelous these days! And with your newfound impact on the world, our two families' intertwined future will be blessed, indeed. Come along now, I'll give you a tour of the premises."

He seems to think he's won already. I'd better set him straight.

Rather than following him as he beckoned, I wrapped my arm gently over Tessa's waist and announced, "Lord Carrow, I do believe you have yet to meet my companion."

"I believe you requested to bring an advisor along," Aedipos said, giving me a stolid smile. "So I merely assumed her identity based on that fact. Besides," he chuckled wryly. "I would never introduce myself to a woman in my own home."

Tessa's lips parted, a snappy retort likely already formed on her unhinged tongue. I squeezed her tiny waist tightly to halt her instinct.

"This is Tessa Prewitt - my intended bride, as a matter of fact," I said, and Tessa and I both raised our chins in defiance, as we'd practiced before.

The atmosphere in the room darkened considerably as both Carrows glared at Tessa, Aedipos's eyes looking quite extensively and critically at my friend's body. Neither Tessa nor I moved, not wanting to display any weakness or discomfort.

After quite a long, intense silence, Aedipos said with deeply sarcastic cheer, "Why don't we all take a seat? Tabby!"

A spotted house elf popped in, immediately cowering and verbally groveling. Aedipos ordered, "Prepare some tea for our guests."

"Y-yes, Great and Holy Lord Aedipos," Tabby gasped, popping away to gather the refreshments. I held out Tessa's chair for her and lowered her into it with my arm, as she clearly attempted to suppress the urge to giggle nervously.

Once we were all seated and the tea prepared, Aedipos sighed – an measured show of intentional weakness on his part. "Mister Pettigrew – may I call you Peter?" I nodded, and he continued. "Peter, I can't say that I did not expect you to attempt to pull something like this. It saddens me that we must go down this route."

I pursed my lips. "Indeed?" Oh, right, I was supposed to apologize for Amycus without showing any weakness. "Oh, yes, might I just reiterate that I dearly regret what happened between Amycus and I."

"What HAPPENED was that you smeared my brother's remains across an entire valley," Alecto cried. "You didn't just murder him – you LIQUIFIED him."

"Aaaannd here we go," Tessa whispered to me.

"SILENCE!" Aedipos screamed in deranged anger as he brandished his wand against his daughter, Alecto flinching away. "You pathetic wench! Can you do nothing correctly?!" He turned to me, smirking a bit. "Once you wed my Alecto, you'll have to make her suffer till she learns her place. She's a stubborn cow, after all." He cocked his head as he considered. "Might you like to do the honors now? She does seem to be in dire need of punishment."

Damn…well…there goes my plan of threatening to mistreat her if I have to marry her. Apparently he wouldn't care at all if I beat her daily.

I shook my head. "Let's get back on topic, for the moment."

Aedipos sneered. "You're still mentally weak, I see. Can't stomach a little everyday torture?"

I raised my eyebrow. I might as well share my prepared remarks, just to see if I can shake him. "Rest assured that, should I marry Alecto, I would give her more pain than you could possibly comprehend. Ever heard of the Transmogrifian Curse?" His face paled intensely – which surprised me. I'd seen the Dark Lord use the curse in my visions, on James – perhaps Aedipos had some exposure to it? I wouldn't ordinarily expect a Dark Wizard to have such a fearful reaction to a curse name. "I have a deep knowledge of a full variety of deliciously painful dark curses. I'd break every bone in each of her fingers, one by one. I'd rip out her teeth and force them down her throat. I'd slowly slice out every square inch of skin on her scalp, one square at a time. Oh, I'd make her suffer…Your daughter will beg for me to finish her off like I did her brother by the time I'm done with her." I grinned wickedly. "You know I have the stomach and power for anything. And I WILL abuse your daughter, Lord Carrow, you have my word on that."

Alecto gaped at me, shivering visibly. Carrow had recovered from his shock and was now giving me a frigid smile.

"Is that so? I do believe you're bluffing. You won't even harm her now, after she just insulted you! You don't have the stomach for it."

I turned to Tessa. "I do think she'd look fantastic with no skin on her face, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, Peter," she gasped demurely. "I should think I'd like to see it! Especially since she's so pudgy! I'm especially fond of that. All that fat oozing sensually out with no skin to contain it? And you know how I love cutting into nose cartilage. Oh, and sticking my tongue in empty eye sockets? That really makes me filthy wet." She slowly ran her hand down from her chest to her crotch, her eyes on Alecto. "All while she's still alive, of course. I'm not into that necrophilia stuff – that's just messed up. Oh, and you don't mind if I take pictures, do you? So I can enjoy them later, naturally. I wouldn't DREAM of releasing them to the press…" as she said this last part, she threw a predatory look at Aedipos, who did gulp this time.

There was a long moment of silence. I threw my arm around Tessa's shaking, bare shoulders, hugging her for a job well done. She leaned into it in response, making me smile.

"You, er…Quite a catch you've found here, with this girl," Aedipos said after a moment. Apparently he chose not to acknowledge our disturbing threats. "She does her family proud. You do realize, however, that you are free to entertain as many concubines as you desire? My Alecto is fine with sharing. Isn't she?" He said, grinning at her ferally.

The now-very-pale Alecto hurriedly nodded.

"So there's no reason at all to sever the ties between our families just because your heart belongs to this lovely young lady."

"Unfortunately for you, Tessa is not the only reason that I do not wish to wed Alecto," I explained, moving on to another tactic Fabian had explained. "You see, I find myself quite offended by what occurred on Yule – your son insulted my family and I extensively, you see, which resulted in his untimely death. You do realize that I cannot, in good conscience, bind with a family that clearly shows so little regard for my own."

Aedipos's lip curled. "Your family is nearly impossible to regard well, Pettigrew. You should be grateful for us even considering you – no other families would!"

I placed my hand on Tessa's – she gave me an attractive smile. "Her family did. My parents were merely too intimidated to approach them, before. And YOU should be abhorred that I murdered your sole heir and the future carrier of your family name."

"New heirs can be produced, as I said before," he said, waving me off. "Amycus was a failure in all regards, anyway."

"No disagreement there," I said darkly. "But the Carrow genes are waning, and have been for quite some time." I raised an eyebrow. "The Pettigrew genes, however, seem to be on the rise, recently. I want my children to excel, not to return to YOUR mucky, pathetic level."

"You DARE insult me in my own home?" Aedipos blustered, standing straight up, wand in hand.

"Yes. Yes I do." I said, calmly sipping my tea. Tessa tensed up, ready to fight.

Lord Carrow waved his wand, conjuring two enormous axes that flew towards my seated form. I lazily transfigured my chair into a tall, steel throne, whose support was quickly toppled as the axes cleaved cleanly through the metal with an ear-piercing sound. Tessa immediately bombarded Carrow with some jinxes, but was forced to take on Alecto when the Carrow girl tried to hit her with a Reductor Curse.

Carrow summoned spikes from the ceiling as he brought the spinning steel axes around for another go. I dove from the crumbling throne, the spikes from the ceiling just barely slicing my scalp, and shot a Blasting Charm at him.

He blocked it with a summoned wardrobe. "HAH! Is that all you've…" I interrupted him with an _Incarcerous_, the chains whipping around his person, completely constraining his wand arms. "_Verdimillious_!" I cast, electrocuting him thoroughly as punishment for attacking me. I grinned with pleasure as I saw him squeal and his skin blacken as it fried.

Alecto, her clothes now quite shredded, stumbled forward, raising her arm to me. "_Cruc-_" but Tessa hit her with a seemingly effortless Jelly-Brain Jinx. Alecto stopped in mid-cast, wand falling uselessly from her fingertips before she flopped to the floor, foam spewing from her mouth as she bounced.

"NICE!" I complimented Tessa. "I didn't know you could do that!" My companion's gown was also fairly ripped up, though I tried my best not to look at her now-exposed midriff and hips (and, notably, her thong).

"It's one of my specialties," Tessa said with a wink.

"Okay, Carrow, let me be perfectly clear," I said, forgetting about Tessa's choice of undergarments, walking casually over to him, and suspending him from the ceiling with a few more chains. "I do not believe you want me to kill you. Now, don't get me wrong' I would not at all mind seeing you dead, and I don't care overmuch about the spilling of pure blood, as I demonstrated with your son."

He was mumbling quite a bit now, so I freed his lips from the chains that were gagging him. "You don't want to kill me, Pettigrew – if you do, I-I'd never be able to cancel the marriage contract! You'd be locked in it! Wh-what are you doing?" he demanded when Tessa walked up and pushed his dangling body, causing him to swing back and forth.

She chuckled. "He looks just like a testicle!"

I laughed as well, kicking Carrow in the chest. "He does, doesn't he? Well spotted, my love!" She quickly hushed up and blushed deeply, despite the fact that I was only saying it to keep our cover…I hope she realizes that.

I continued speaking to Carrow. "If you die, the contract will indeed be locked in place…but only until I've killed all other Carrows in existence." I grinned. "There aren't too many of you alive, are there? Shouldn't be too hard to track down."

"Y-you wouldn't…you couldn't ever get away with that! Both the ministry and the Dark Lord would hunt you down if you set out to murder my entire family."

I cleared my throat. "The ministry wouldn't. The Prewitt brothers are aurors, you see, so I believe they'd cover for my massacre of your family quite capably. They've already assured me of that, in fact. And I highly doubt the Dark Lord will lift a finger against me for it – he doesn't seem to have cared at all that your son died, after all. If anything, I'm certain he'll be interested in acquiring my…services, once your family's exterminated."

Alecto squirmed around on the floor, singing through the froth of her mouth, "I can't feel my toes…and I can't feel my BRAIN! And I want to have a pet pumpkin and its name izzz…izzzz…JOSEPH!"

"You're all talk." Aedipos said to me, somehow ignoring his daughter. "I can see it in your eyes. And you're a bloody Gryffindor! You don't have what it takes to do as you claim," he growled, still swinging back and forth.

How much convincing does this asshole NEED?! "If that's what you think, then you're dumber than you look. Alright – let's calm down and think this through logically, shall we?" I said, placing a hand on his chain-wrapped body to stop his swinging. "The reason you want me to marry your lovely daughter is to secure your family's future and reputation, is it not?" He didn't respond, so I screamed, spit flying from my mouth, "I said, IS IT NOT?!" After he finally nodded, I sighed pleasantly. "Good. Now, if you continue forcing your daughter down this path, I daresay that precisely the opposite will happen. Your family's reputation and future will be cut off very abruptly after I'm through with her." I leaned down and stuck my face right into his. "Aedipos – I will kill your daughter if I marry her. You have my word."

He spat in my face. I could feel my face contort in rage, but I stopped myself from destroying him. "You wouldn't kill her, Pettigrew. The Ministry would have you thrown into Azkaban immediately for executing your own wife!"

"Like I said before, you extremely stupid person – I've got aurors in my pocket. I'll be QUITE safe and QUITE able to frame her death on someone else. Now, all this can be avoided, my friend – all of it! As long as you revoke the contract."

"I'd die first," he said, trying and failing to look dignified. "I won't betray my family honor."

I looked at him exasperatedly. "Carrow – I'll kill EVERYONE! What good is your family honor at that point?"

He grumbled something else.

"Do you want that to be your great contribution to the Carrow dynasty?! That you singlehandedly brought about its end because your honor felt threatened by a 15 year old? If you do not stop the contract, that WILL be your legacy. You will be a failure in the eyes of every Carrow in history. Centuries of history, of magical genes cut off. By you. Is that what you want? I told you, I don't mind destroying all of you. It's no sweat off my back, and it won't weigh on my conscience. But it WILL weigh heavily on yours."

I pointed my wand to his mindfucked daughter, who observed, "Pretty boy's pointing a…(snicker)…a STICK in my face, FATHER! WHYYYYYYY'S he doing that? The people keep on…moving, but the train's already GONE! I don't even know your name, JOSEPH!"

"I will start with her," I said. "I know over twenty-five ways to kill through magic. I do believe I'll use a different method for each family member. It should be quite entertaining."

Aedipos looked between the two of us, his expression faltering.

"So what'll it be?"

He sighed, the tension leaving his body. "…I'll…I'll do it. But this won't be the end of this, Pettigrew! You'll regret ever coming here!"

I produced the marriage contract from my pocket and cancelled his _Incarcerous_, gently levitating him safely to his feet. "Just cancel the thing."

Moving very sedately, he placed his wand to the parchment and spoke an incantation, removing his name from the binding agreement. Tessa and I looked at each other victoriously.

"Thank you, Lord Carrow. It's been a pleasure doing business with you," I said sarcastically. "_Obliviate!_"

I gave him a very thorough memory wipe which lasted several minutes, erasing everything pertaining to the contract since his initial meeting with my parents.

I stepped back and smiled in satisfaction at the blank look on his face.

"Wha? What's going on? Who are you?" he demanded in confusion.

"Calm down, sir, you just had a fainting spell. I think you should sit down."

I guided him over to his couch, while Alecto decided that this was the best time to confess, "I had a dream, that, you know, like…I used to be a wombat, Peter!"

"I'm very happy for you," I told her, wiping some of the foam from her lips as she cackled in pleasure. I quickly wiped my fingers off on the couch in disgust.

"I love you," she burped to me, barreling forwards, arms widespread. In terror, I quickly sidestepped her, causing her to miss me, stumble, and impact her head on the corner of the coffee table, drawing blood. "Owie…I don't know…what just…GEH! I can't see ANYTHING!" She wailed in sobbing terror. I put her under a Silencing Charm at that point.

"Sir," Tessa said to Aedipos in a soothing voice, "Before you passed out, the Pettigrews were here. You don't want to marry your precious daughter off to their disgusting family, do you?"

"No!" he spat. "F-fucking Pettigrews. I hate them."

"That's right," she said, caressing the side of his face. "Those fucking Pettigrews are good-for-nothing goat rapists, aren't they?"

I gave her a slightly annoyed look that she returned with a haughty smirk, but I felt generally pleased with our success.

We repaired all the damage to the room (but not its occupants) before flooing back to the Prewitt Overlook.

* * *

><p>"That was brilliant, Peter!" Tessa sang as soon as we arrived, ensnaring me in a surprisingly tight hug. "You did great!"<p>

"As did you! I'm glad I had you there to back me up," I said, squeezing her tightly in return and resisting the impulse to grab and squeeze her shapely behind. Apparently due to the hug, she let out a slight hiss, contorting her body against mine in seeming pleasure. I was instantly aroused, despite my efforts to keep a clear head.

She laughed nervously and wiggled away from me, her hands conspicuously covering her crotch. "Um…I would like to help you again sometime, if you ever need me."

"For sure," I said with a blush, raising an eyebrow at her odd behavior. "I'll always accept your help, Tessa – you're one of the few people I trust."

She snickered for some reason. "Th-thanks, Peter. Er, um, shall we…go and let the others know how we did?"

"Naturally, naturally," I said, following her to the kitchen. What the hell was wrong with her now? At first, she was jubilant, then she was aroused, and now she seems like she's trying to avoid me. And at lunch she acted like she HATED me. She's one fuck of a puzzle.

"H-hey, wait…" I stopped her before we reached the others. "Er…which one of us IS more attractive, me or my dad?"

Her eyes widened a moment before she laughed. "Oh, that bothered you, did it?" she giggled and walked away, leaving me without an answer, to my great annoyance.

We spent the rest of the morning regaling our adventures to the Prewitts and my father, to their congratulatory excitement. That was the first time I'd ever seen my father actually proud of me.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And that's one story arc wrapped up! Or so we think! :D But that's not all! Two more thrilling updates await, esteemed reader!

I know I'm abnormal for updating several chapters at once, but I'd be completely ecstatic to receive reviews for each of my chapters, rather than just the last one. I'm always very curious to hear what you think of all my work, whether good or bad. Any feedback is much appreciated, and taken into serious consideration.

See ya in like two seconds...or more, if you have a slow browser!


	9. All Dressed Up With No One to Mutilate

**A/N: **Okay, just as a warning, this chapter is kind of like the eye of the storm, with two chapters of forward story momentum preceding and following it. You can think of this one as an analysis chapter. It may not exactly be your cup of tea, but there are several important insights and revelations that occur between the characters. And, once Remus gets in the picture, we really start moving forward with the next bit of plot.

I have a great fondness for dialogue - perhaps too much so. However, I feel (however egotistically) that it's all pertinent/interesting. You're welcome to disagree/skip ahead if you don't like characters talking. ;)

This A/N may make it sound like I dislike this chapter, but I actually really enjoyed writing it. It has my favorite Peter moment of the story so far, actually. At any rate, I dearly hope you enjoy this little breather chapter!

Oh yeah, and I don't own a single bloody thing. At all. Not even my brain. Sold it to the devil for a relationship with a gorgeous woman, but she left me. Soooo I'm basically screwed now. Lol.

(Frothing at the mouth) ON TO THE THEATRE!

* * *

><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter 9 – All Dressed Up With No One to Mutilate**

Very soon afterwards, Molly and I left to spend the rest of the afternoon in Diagon Alley, killing time before my scheduled rendezvous with Remus.

Other than the reporters we deigned to talk to (I was sweating profusely with nervousness the whole time) I was a bit disturbed to see every wizard and witch we encounter balk at our approach, and immediately put distance between us and them. What was up with that? I might have been well known for being ridiculously powerful and possibly dark at the moment, but they should have been aware that I have no quarrel with them. At any rate, it seemed that more people read the Prophet or Quibbler than they do Witch Weekly…unfortunately for me.

Not that I really mind…I wouldn't exactly want to be swamped by people, either. All I want is peace and quiet, really…and the Dark Lord's demise, of course. The terrified looks that people keep shooting me, however, make it impossible to really enjoy myself. I feel weirdly guilty about causing them fear, despite it being completely out of my hands.

Due in large part to how freakishly sexy Molly is, and also owing to the fact that I have the responsibility of keeping her entertained for such a long period of time, I am quite nervous. As in, I feel I have absolutely no business even vaguely being seen in the same shot as her in the paper, yet I have to. And she's okay with it! I should feel lucky and blessed, I suppose, but I just feel like a fraud…

As we left Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, where, naturally, I was happy to foot the bill for the lovely goddess accompanying me, Molly turned to me and gave me a small smile. "Relax, Peter – this isn't a real date, you know."

"S-s-sorry, Molly," I gasped, mentally thrashing myself for my stuttering, "I'm just n-not really used to spending one-on-one time with a girl for this long." _Especially a girl as gorgeous as you_, I added mentally.

She hummed, eyes sliding gently over my person. "Well then, would it help if I did this?" Without warning, she wrapped her right arm tightly around my left, smooshing mine against her ample bosom.

"W-well, considering that now I'm red-faced, h-h-horny, AND even more nervous than before…no, no I don't think it would."

She snickered. "At least your sarcasm's shining through." Her eyes lowered to my crotch briefly, but she made a disgusted sound and quickly looked away. "Oh! You…weren't kidding."

"I don't kid about matters of the penis," I said with a nervous laugh. I was blushing even harder now, completely ashamed that I even THOUGHT something that idiotic, let alone said it out loud to Molly.

"For the last time, you really need to suppress that part of yourself – like, right now," she said, patting my arm but still squeezing it tightly against her boob. DAMN that felt nice. "We're here to make a show for the reporters, remember? We don't want to make it THAT kind of show, you know."

"I am in complete agreement, M-molly," I said, licking my electric blue ice cream. "Which is why I'd prefer you drop my arm."

"You're just going to have to deal with it," she said, briefly snuggling her head against my neck. "We have to act like a friendly young couple, after all."

"You know, I rather suspect that this plan of your brother's to hold a "fake date" between you and I is really just an extension of his earlier torture of me from last week."

"Really? Torture?" she said, looking at me with a cocked eyebrow. "I'm not certain I believe you on that one, Mister McStiffalot."

"McStiffalot. Clever. AND you acknowledged my penis. You're a real catch, Molly."

"HI-YA!" she cried, karate chopping my forehead. "Stop saying that word out loud! For Merlin's sake!"

"At least I whispered it," I growled amidst the residual sting of her chop. "I'm fairly certain you just drew more attention with that display than from anything I've said."

"Well, you deserve it," she said, patting me on the chest. "Anyway…I propose we sit down and enjoy our ice cream, before you irredeemably embarrass us."

"That sounds like a plan to me. C-can I have a hug first?"

"No," she said with a smirk, leading us to a table.

"B-but it'd look like we were, um…"

"A friendly young couple? Yeah, I know. But it was you who suggested it, so naturally I have to refuse." She sat down across from me with a wink, which I tried desperately to focus on rather than her jiggles. You'd think she could wear a bra from time to time. Or maybe she does, and her magnificent chest puppies simply resist all manner of containment, desperate to break free! They do seem rather expressive, after all. Merlin, how I'd love to…

"Peter? Are you listening?" she asked with a suspicious look.

"Oh, absolutely! I've totally listened to every single thing you just said," I said blandly.

"Uh…huh…"

I hurriedly moved on to another topic. "So, um…what's with, er…how everyone's acting around us today? Don't you find it peculiar that they're THAT fearful of me…wait, they're scared of me, right?"

Molly smirked. "Well, of the two of us, which has displayed enormous destructive magical potential, immediately after which appearing horrifyingly bloodthirsty? That's certainly not me taking a shower of blood on the front page of all the papers."

"You'd think that would sell more copies. You. Showering. Blood. Well, maybe not the blood so much, but..."

She ignored me. "Add to that the fact that we both represent families who are very secretive about their true allegiances and are largely suspected to be Dark, and, well…I don't think it's any wonder that they're turning and running when they see us coming. Why, what's the matter? Is my company not enough for you?" she leaned forward, a sly grin on her face.

"WHOA! Whoa! Tha-that's cheating, M-m-molly!" I gasped, slapping my hand over my eyes. "And, yes, you're the best company ever!"

She giggled. "At least you're finally beginning to attempt to control yourself. That's a start." We ate ice cream in silence for a moment. "I was meaning to ask you something, by the way – you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just curious."

"Ask away!" I invited her, swallowing a big chunk of blue ice cream mixed with waffle cone. It was sadistically delicious.

She paused and looked at me very seriously. "Would you have really killed them?"

"I suppose I would have felt no particular compunction about it, no."

"Wha-? You can say it that easily?" she asked, suddenly looking fearful…which made me panic slightly, in return.

"Molly, they're the enemy!"

She calmed herself down a bit. "So all that's stopping you from killing, say, me, is…"

"Well, naturally, there are MANY reasons that I'd never hurt you, but obviously, one such reason is that you are not my enemy, correct."

"It's dangerous to see the world in only black or white, Peter…especially since you're so, um, morally dubious yourself."

"Hey, I resent that! I'm not morally dubious, I just wouldn't blink to kill a Death Eater, is all. And I like checking out girls. Those are basically the extent of my vices," I said with a smile, but she didn't return it.

"I can see why Tessa likes you…so, anyone who's not a Death Eater is safe from you?"

"Correct – so, although I do admit that I deal in absolutes, they're very particular absolutes, you see, not big, generalized, flimsy concepts like Good versus Evil or Black versus White, or even on which side people land on the issue of blood purity! The Death Eaters, as well as the Dark Lords of the past, obviously, are about as clear a true representation of evil as one can get. So they're the only ones I would ever target."

"I see…" she said, tipping her bowl back to drink her melted ice cream, a few creamy droplets sprinkling on her cleavage. "Oh, whoops!"

I handed her a napkin, looking away. "I just want people to have the freedom to think, believe, and espouse whatever they want!"

"That's very noble of you, Peter. But murder isn't always the answer, you know. There's a reason the Killing Curse is outlawed, and it's not just due to the Dark nature of the curse – it's because unchecked vigilante justice SO often ends badly. Not to mention that it's wrong and twisted to kill in the first place."

"Molly, what's the alternative? The courts are hopelessly corrupt and presided over solely by Purebloods – the aurors can certainly arrest whoever they want, but if the court's inherent bias doesn't see the Death Eater walk free, then you can be sure that the ensuing bribes will. It's already happened at least three times this month, according to the news. All the money's on their side of the field, Molly – there is no way that they could remotely represent the best interests of the people. Someone NEEDS to take matters into their own hands."

"Still, there MUST be another solution."

"That's not an answer. That's idealism," I said dismissively.

"Peter, I know everything's really screwed up now, and I don't disagree with you about the Ministry, but…what if you, yourself, slowly become evil as a result of your attempts to cleanse our world?"

"If I succeed at stomping out whatever evil I can, how then can I be anything BUT a force opposing evil, and, thus, good?"

"Killing constantly and taking the law into your own hands, even when you destroy only that which is firmly established as evil can, potentially, corrupt the do-gooder into something horrible himself or herself. You need SOMEthing to check your decisions and power. At least the corrupt courts have that in the law."

I sighed, eating my ice cream.

"Ever heard of the French Revolution in the Muggle World?" Molly continued.

"Of course, but that's pretty substantially different from my case," I said. "The Dark Lord's much more evil than the French monarchy was at the time."

"But the effects of the Dark Lord's likely future reign closely mirror, on our population, those of the oppression of absolute monarchy rule on the populace at the time. Perhaps he's more evil, but both situations are and were equally damaging to their respective societies. And, in the case of the French Revolution, what began as the answer to their problem slowly became something even more nightmarish. Robespierre claimed that it was morally correct and good to rule through terror and slaughter as long as it was only ever the established evil who were terrorized and executed."

I bristled. "You're saying that…what? That I could be even more dangerous for Wizarding England than Voldemort? Are you serious?!"

"No, no, no! Calm down! I'm just talking hypotheticals right now," she said in a worried voice. "Um…I'm just worried that, if you keep walking down this path, you are allowing yourself to become the equivalent of Robespierre, in this situation."

I was distinctly reminded of my nightmare from the other night. Perhaps I was even dreaming right now? I pinched myself sharply, but vivid pain greeted me, so it was safe to assume that I was, in fact, awake.

"Molly, by knowing that I could potentially turn out like that, though, isn't that enough motivation for me to prevent myself from falling that far?"

"Maybe…Let me ask you…how interested are you in analyzing the Dark Lords and Ladies of the past?"

"Er…very? I'm sure, with adequate documentation, I'd be able to research numerous strategies from studying each of their respective downfalls. The problem, of course, is finding accurate texts, since most were destroyed by order of either a Dark Lord who took power or one of the many corrupt governments."

"My family firmly believes in learning from history to avoid mistakes in the future," Molly explained. "As such, we've preserved copies of a decent number of texts which had been ordered to be destroyed at various points in history."

My now-familiar greed for information jolted through my body. "S-seriously?! What do I have to do to read those?"

She smiled a bit. "Just promise me that you'll pay attention to the rises of all the Dark Lords – some actually became Dark Lords despite having good intentions. And they're in the Prewitt family vault, at the moment."

"Excellent! Perfect! And I promise to read all that stuff, too! Hey, you could collect them while I rendezvous with Remus!"

"Heh, don't I even get a please?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Can I read them, PLEASE?!" I asked, clasping my hands in prayer to her.

"Certainly! I'll put numerous charms on them, however, to protect them from other interested parties."

"Good call. So, um…Molly, I can't help but get the feeling, from this conversation, that you're regretting forming an alliance with me…"

"Oh! No, I don't mean to come off that way, or to stop you from what you're doing, even. I'm just worried about you, and would be devastated to see you become corrupted, despite having the best intentions."

I blushed deeply at her expression of value, feeling warm inside. "Thank you, Molly. I promise I'll meditate on your words. Though I should warn you, however, that I don't ALWAYS have the best intentions!"

She stood up, walked around the table, and chopped me heavily on the forehead. "And you were doing so well, too…"

"Sorry," I said with a grin as I rubbed my sore head. "I couldn't…" I stopped talking as I realized someone was clapping their hands in stately applause from behind Molly.

One Lucius Malfoy was the source, his luscious silvery-blonde hair blowing entrancingly in the wind. Clothed in debonair, flowing suit robes, he regarded us with narrowed eyes and a smug grin. "A very commendable hit, Molly. I see that, despite looking like an angel, you still refuse to act the part."

"Oh, Merlin!" Molly said, hand flying to her mouth briefly before she composed herself and sat down beside me. "I…"

"Oh, do not permit me to interrupt your discussion! By all means, continue!" Lucius said, wearing a mockery of a charming smile. Sadly, proper etiquette demanded that we welcome him to join in, anyway.

"N-not at all, Lucius! Feel free to take a seat, if you'd like," Molly said with barely concealed discomfort. They clearly were not fond of each other. I certainly didn't like the way he was eyeing her like a piece of candy.

"I prefer to stand, thank you kindly," Lucius drawled, towering over us. He turned to me measuredly and ran his eyes over my person. "So this diminutive fellow must be THE Peter Pettigrew, if I'm not mistaken."

"I am," I said, steeping my fingers together on the table but ready to draw my wand at a moment's notice.

"Funny – with all your fame, I had thought you'd appear more…" he mulled about for an appropriate word for a moment, "dignified."

Wow, starting off with an insult. He does NOT want me to like him. Doesn't this guy know I could destroy him?

"I am honored that the most gracious heir to the Malfoy family saw fit to correct me on my physical appearance. I will take your observations to heart, I assure you," I said, taking care to draw out each word I said like a well-bred person.

Lucius gave a sneer before turning his head to Molly. "You, on the other hand, look simply stunning today, Miss Prewitt. I've scarcely seen so beautiful a Gryffindor, if I'm to be honest with myself. Do you know – I've always been fond of the Prewitts," the former Head Boy said, punctuating his speech with several meaningless gasps, which I supposed he thought made him sound enticing and well-bred. I always thought it made him sound like he was asthmatic.

"I didn't before, but now I do. I appreciate this most useful information." I said cheekily.

Lucius gave me a look of utter scorn, continuing to Molly, "It was such a shame that you were sorted the way you were. Otherwise, I'm sure we might have gotten on better. You certainly seem to have an eye for…apt alliances."

I don't really know what he meant by that, exactly, but if he gasps any more, I'm afraid he'll either inflate or ejaculate.

Molly gave a small smile, saying, "You are far too kind, Lucius, but, although I know you think little of it, I'm fond of my House." Molly drew herself up, chin held high and chest forward. I noticed to my displeasure that Lucius's eyes flicked to her breasts for a moment before going back up to meet her eyes. "Though I must ask – to what do we owe the pleasure of your company this afternoon?"

"Oh, I was just passing through, enjoying the weather. It's always a pleasure to encounter those who actually deserve to dwell in the magical world, such as yourselves, and, so, here we are."

"In all honesty, Mr. Malfoy, you honour us with your presence," I said, trying to sort out his true purpose.

His cool grey eyes looked me over for a moment. "The honour is all mine, I assure you, to stand in the presence of such a skilled duelist as yourself. It's such a shame, though, what happened to poor Amycus Carrow, wouldn't you agree?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Not particularly. Was he a friend of yours?" I asked, cocking my head slightly towards his left forearm. Molly subtly shook her head at my words.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I enjoyed his company," Lucius replied with a wry chuckle, "But he was a pureblooded wizard, and it's always a great shame when such precious blood is wasted, isn't it?"

"Well, while I do agree with you that pure blood is a precious commodity," I said, attempting to play his game right back to him. "I believe that certain wizards ought not to continue producing offspring. Those like Amycus, for instance." I smiled, obviously insinuating the same about Lucius himself. "It is for that reason that I do not regret his passing."

Lucius pursed his lips and nodded. "Perhaps. It is fortunate that his father is still able to produce progeny, though, or at least he was when last I heard. I wonder, however – I seem to have recently heard tell of a wizard threatening to murder poor, peace-loving Aedipos Carrow himself, just this morning. In his own home, if you can believe it! How distasteful. Who was the criminal again? I don't recall…"

I had to use all my effort to suppress my utter surprise. Somehow, despite the thorough memory wipe I'd dealt Carrow, apparently word had gotten out about our slight skirmish. Perhaps one of them had just pieced together the clues? Lucius had likely heard about the situation beforehand. "Really? Strange. I hadn't heard anything of the sort. I do hope noble Lord Carrow is alright," I responded with a plastic smile.

Is Lucius asking for a fight with me?

Lucius just smirked. "I also hear that you haven't been home in some time, yourself, young Mister Pettigrew. Your elderly father is injured at the moment, is he not? I do believe that was the reason he provided for not attending the Yule Festival this year."

I looked at him like he had just made a fascinating point. "I believe his injuries are recovering smoothly, and I am quite certain that he is still a potent duelist, regardless of his age. I'm sure he'll be able to defend himself if someone were to, say, break in to the house, at any rate."

"Oh, Mister Pettigrew – who ever said anything about breaking into your house? One might think you were clumsily attempting to insinuate something. Surely not!"

"No, of course not, Mister Malfoy; I was just giving an example."

"Indeed? Then you should have selected a more realistic one." His mouth spread into a finely-crafted grin. "Who on earth would think to rob your family? There's hardly a more destitute Pureblood family around. You even surpass the Weasleys in poverty, impressively."

I smiled in return, but inside, I dearly wanted to rip the skin off his face and break off his jaw. "It is as you say, sadly. I hope to one day return my House to its former glory."

Malfoy laughed harshly. "Unfortunately for you, that would be entirely nothing to brag about." He looked to Molly, who was quick to hide the frown on her face. "Oh! Dreadfully sorry. I seem to have neglected the lady present. I do hope you'll forgive my rudeness for getting dragged into this boy's pointless bickering!"

The wolfish grin he gave me over his shoulder then prompted my vision of his future self to flash unbidden to the fore of my mind. I shuddered in fear and repulsion as the images burned through my eyes.

_Laughing in mirth as he slashes her alabaster body open over and over again._

_Jabbing his wand in her eyes, bursting them open._

_Shooting his semen over her mutilated, unrecognizable, quivering, organ-expelled remains._

"_You are too weak, Wormtail," he taunts, using my Marauder name as a mockery. "You are so hilariously inept that you don't even MATTER!."_

I fear NOTHING more than those images.

I have half a mind to slice his body into ribbons right now.

Wait…why am I NOT attacking him, again? He's a murderous Death Eater rapist slug who's using his prestige to bring about suffering, injustice, and blood hatred. He needs to die. What he's done and what he will do is unforgivable. I NEED to kill him.

I tried to think logically about the consequences, but, unlike with Bellatrix, I couldn't come up with a single convincing reason to not annihilate him on the spot; mostly owing, I suppose, to everything I'd seen him doing in my visions.

He's a monster. Diseased, evil, and irredeemable. He truly needs to get acquainted with death, NOW! Why hasn't anyone done him in yet?

I'm going to kill him. But what spell should I use? Something special, I think. Let's see…

I looked up at the swinging sign overhead, designed with the name of this outdoor tea shop. I could transfigure that easily into a massive steel pendulum…a BLACK steel pendulum, with a gothic design…and have it swoop down and magically guide it to cleave right into him, puncturing his thin, pale skin, and freeing all his crimson, pureblood juices, gushing forth on the ground for me to stomp in and bathe in!

It's perfect!

While he and Molly exchanged various aristocratic niceties, I grinned and slowly slid my wand into my hand…

"Oh! Look at the time!" Molly suddenly said in a loud voice.

I blinked, quickly slipping my wand back up my sleeve, fairly certain that Lucius never noticed it. In fact, he hadn't been looking at me at all since he started talking with Molly…too entranced by her breasts, evidently. That would have been a perfect chance…damn it! Why would she want to protect him?

As my heartbeat and adrenalin rush slowly subsided to normal levels, Molly cleared her throat. "I do apologize, Lucius, but Peter and I were about to make a trip to Gringotts before they close for the day. I hope you don't mind, but we really must be off!"

"Oh, is that so?" Lucius gasped, still not regarding me for some reason. "Why, you should have told me! I apologize for taking up your time."

"No, no, it's nothing. Thank you for stopping by! It's always lovely to see my old classmates again," Molly said with an impeccable portrayal of friendliness.

"The pleasure is all mine, my darling. I hope you continue to be well in these tumultuous times," Lucius said with something like care in his voice. He suddenly turned to me and gave me a blood chilling grin, his eyes looking quite deranged. "Until we meet again, Mister Pettigrew. Which will be sooner than later, I expect." And then he strode away, his blonde hair and black robe alike fluttering in the wind. Interesting…how soon did he mean? Was that a threat? It had to have been one.

After my shivers subsided, I looked to Molly with a frown. "That was horrible. Figures that someone like him would come ruin our date."

"For the five thousandth time, Peter, this isn't…"

"I know, I know. I was just pulling your leg. Or, rather, your very shapely, curvaceous leg, as I should say for accuracy's sake."

She didn't respond, choosing to fix me with a quite serious look. I sighed, knowing what she wanted to talk about.

"Why did you stop me?" I asked her in a measured tone.

"There are MANY reasons," she said, massaging her temples. "But, most importantly, I think it was a trap. There's a reason that Lucius Malfoy has been the only non-reporter to approach us this whole time – he must have anticipated that you would attack."

I cocked my head to the side. "I'm sure I could have beaten him."

"Knowing Lucius, he'd likely set a trap beyond the realm of your physical dueling aptitude – either he had friends lying in wait, a media trap waiting nearby, aurors…I'm not sure what, but he was up to something."

I almost punched myself. "Damn…you're right. That's the only thing that makes sense."

"Peter, you HAVE to start thinking about these things, and soon, or you're going to end up in a terrible position."

"I agree," I said, heaving a sigh.

"And that doesn't even begin to go into the number of other reasons you shouldn't have attacked."

I gave her an annoyed look. "More morality lecturing?"

"Hardly. Lucius was also testing you, you see. He probably noticed your short fuse just now, which he'll assuredly later use to his advantage against you." I gulped, remembering the creepy look he gave me as he left. She continued, "Lucius also values the traditional Slytherin methods of outwitting and fooling his opponent – you may have completely ruined your chance at gaining his respect."

"Why should I care – at all – what he thinks of me?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, if the Death Eaters now feel that you have a glaring weakness, that being your short fuse and inability to plan ahead, then they may continue their raids and murders unburdened with fear of you. Which, indeed, may give you the advantage at first, but will also put more people in danger, at first. So long as the Death Eaters are curious about you, they will hesitate more often in their movements."

"Wow! You're really something, Molly," I grinned. "Alright then, you've convinced me to mix up my movements a bit and keep them guessing."

"Sounds like a good start. But you truly need to learn to exhibit self-control, Peter," she warned. "Malfoy's murder would have caused drastic political upheaval, which would affect multitudes of lives in the Wizarding World. Do you really want the light side, the Death Eaters, AND the Ministry all hunting you down?"

"Good point."

"And I'm fairly certain our family alliance would be forced to end…"

"Alright! Alright. I understand," I said, looking about sheepishly. "I will control myself from now on."

Molly rolled her eyes. "Sure you will."

I'm really not very good at this thing called life. She's clearly lost most of her respect for me now. Which is a shame, since she's hotter than the bloody Equator in mid-summer.

I coughed. "Well, it's getting on in the evening. Will you be alright heading to Gringotts on your own?"

She nodded with a slight smile, getting up out of her seat and stretching. "Of course I will. I'm not a target in this war, yet. But you are, now, so Tessa or I will get dragged into it all, sooner or later. I'm more than a little capable of handling myself in a fight, though, I'll have you know." She smiled craftily. "The Prewitts are feared for a reason."

I smiled back. "I'm glad to hear it. Please be careful, though, anyway."

"Always, Peter. And I don't know what Remus has planned, but be sure to think everything through before taking any actions, alright?"

"I will."

She nodded and shyly stepped over to give me another tight hug, to my surprise. I was quick to return it, of course. "This was…interesting. We should talk again like this sometime."

"It would be my pleasure, Molly," I said warmly, looking affectionately into her eyes.

Her kind gaze turned to one of exasperation. "Somehow, you never seem entirely genuine when you say things that way."

"You wound me, Madam," I said with a wink. "Now, I'd best be off finding my pet Remus."

She gave an unladylike snort. "Okay. You go do that."

* * *

><p>At 8 PM, I ducked into the Leaky Cauldron, wearing a heavy cloak to conceal my features. Remus was here somewhere…I looked about for someone sitting alone and away from others, and found a lone, thin, cloaked figure after a bit, tucked away in a back room behind the curve of the bar.<p>

"Moony?" I asked him as I approached.

"Wormtail," he answered softly.

I figured that was as good way as any to gauge his identity, so I sat across from him, neither of us having our back exposed to a door or window.

Remus casted a _Muffliato_ before speaking. "Thank you so much for coming, Peter."

"Anytime, mate. It's always a pleasure to see you with your nose not buried in the pages of a book," I said, beginning to lower the hood of my cloak.

"D-don't!" He warned, so I quickly slipped it back on. "Sorry, I just…" In the darkness of his hood I could see his fascinatingly orange eyes darting around nervously. "You never know who…or what…is watching."

I cocked my head. Something had him SPOOKED. "Er…sure. So you said something about wanting me to help you with…suppressing a threat of some kind? I have to admit, I'm intrigued."

Remus nodded. "It's bad news, Peter." He retrieved an unsealed envelope from his cloak and laid it on the table before me. "I received this, a potion, and an artifact enchanted to be a Portkey in a package by post yesterday."

"A potion?" I asked. "What…"

He gestured to the letter. "It explains within. I'd like you to read it."

I nodded, quickly pulling out the letter and reading it by the flickering candlelight.

_To whom it may concern,_

_This letter found its way to you because of your hidden attributes. Do not fear, for you are among friends. The way of the wolf is quite painful, but glorious nonetheless. Do not recoil from who you are – embrace it!_

_Our day is coming. We will soon take back the world and take compensation for all it has subjected us to. Take this potion in hand and use it to bring more to the pack. It's a new creation called the Wolfsbeck Potion – it mimics the effects of lunar light on the bloodstream of our kind, allowing us to unleash our true selves at any time._

_Let us band together as one, on the first of January, at 10:00 PM. Use the enclosed Portkey to access our temporary den. There, we will welcome you as one of our own. You no longer have to run, to fear, to hate yourself. We are the most powerful of all Dark Creatures, and the day is ours to seize!_

_Feel free to test the potion to ensure its veracity, and bring any new converts. Very soon we will greatly outnumber those who seek to control us. For the first time in history, we will conquer all who oppose us, as it should have always been since the dawn of the wolf._

_Yours in blood_

"Holy shit!" I breathed, dropping the note and looking wild-eyed at Remus. "What the hell? Have you tested the potion at all?"

"Of course not," Remus snarled. "You know I'm awful at Potions…and I'm certainly not about to transform on purpose."

"Right. Makes sense," I said, "Do you have it with you?"

"Yes."

I took the "Wolfsbeck Potion" from his hand and peered into it, using a _Lumos_ to illuminate as much of the consistency as I could. The potion contained multiple shades – a bright green at the base, a dark violet in the middle, and a rusty red at the top. There were two separate consistencies visible in the vial – the bottom half was thick, sludgy, and looked to have very small pine clippings of some sort. The rest of it was bubbly, transparent, and quite dangerous-looking.

"Do you recognize it at all?" Remus asked nervously.

I frowned. "No. There aren't very many potions with two consistencies and three tones…and none of them that I've seen or read about fit this description. It looks like, at the very least, it's a new potion."

Remus nodded, having probably expected that result. "Peter…I'm going to attend the meeting."

I sat the potion down and gathered my thoughts for a moment. "Are you sure that's a wise course of action?"

"What do I have to lose? I am one of them, after all." He clenched his fists. "It's Greyback, Peter. My other 'father.' This madness…that monstrosity must be stopped!"

I froze, looking quickly back at the note. "How do you…"

"It's his scent. It's all over it. Like he rubbed his bloody arse with it."

I grimaced and dropped the note immediately.

"Not literally. That's just how thickly it's emitting his scent. I'd…recognize it anywhere," Remus said, shivering.

"Okay. Er, by the way, why are we meeting here, rather than at your house, come to think of it?"

He shook his head. "I don't want my parents to find out, if at all possible."

I nodded. "Fair enough. So…you're going to the meeting…to, what, ambush him and a whole pack of his offspring? Alone?"

I felt Remus's gaze more than I saw it. "I didn't call you here just to analyze the potion, my friend. I thought that you could port there with me under a strong Disillusionment Charm, and we'd take Greyback by surprise. After he falls, chaos would ensue – the other werewolves will inevitably start warring against one another to establish a new alpha. We can leave in the tumult. Simple as cake. If things go badly at first, we can always port right back."

I furrowed my brow. "Remus…that's a really, REALLY stupid idea."

He glared back. "How is that even vaguely more stupid than having someone flog the skin and muscle off your back for a couple new spells?" Before I could retort, he drove on. "Come on. You know you owe me. And you're ridiculously powerful, you can't deny it." He clenched his fist so tightly his arm started shaking. "Help me get my revenge, Peter."

I winced. I really didn't think this plan would work. And I couldn't help but recall Molly's warning about acting without thinking. But, as he said, I was his best shot at taking on Greyback…and we finally have his location…and I certainly did owe him one.

"I…" I sighed. "Fine. I'll do it."

I could see the white of Remus's grin from under his hood as he clapped me roughly on the shoulder. "Thanks, Peter. You're a true friend."

"Have you considered, though, whether it would be better to simply take this to Professor Dumbledore?"

Remus shook his head. "I'd rather do this myself, if at all possible…it needs to be one of Greyback's progeny that does him in. It needs to be ME. I can't even conceive how psychotic that man must be – who on earth could be twisted enough to want to go through that thrice-damned transformation ON PURPOSE?

"And to force countless others into doing it? And to take pleasure at corrupting them and condemning them to this life of shite? And THEN to welcome them with open arms like we're one big family? How can he DO that, when he knows how awful a werewolf's life is?! There's no glory at all in it, and there never will be. It is an accursed existence."

He sat back. "Ever since I found out the kind of man my "father" was…I've always vowed that, if I ever do one thing in this miserable sack of shite that is my life…it would be to kill that bastard. Even if I die trying, it would be worth it to me." He looked up at me with a recognizably bloodthirsty look in his eyes. "You're obsessed with killing the Dark Lord, correct? So you understand how I feel! This is my only chance to repay that, that…abomination that tore through any hope I'd ever have for a normal life." He leaned back. "So, no, Peter. I don't think I will tell Professor Dumbledore about this."

I gulped. Remus was more ferocious right now than I'd ever seen him in human form. "Er…I don't disagree on any particular point, mate. However, I do think it would be wise to get someone else on this mission whom we can trust. The more wands we have, the better."

"Indeed. I was actually about to ask you about that."

"So you were thinking about inviting them, too?"

"Of course. But I didn't, since I know you've had some kind of…falling out with them, recently."

I shook my head. "That's very considerate of you, but be that as it may, we're all still loyal to YOU, so I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to help. Besides, Sirius, at least, seems to have forgiven me. So we could at least contact him."

"Have you heard about what happened with Sirius over the break?"

"Er…no?"

"He was kicked out of his family; his lovely mother slashed him off his Family Tree," Remus said sadly.

"W-wow…that must be painful."

"Well…for any SANE person, I think it'd be painful," Remus chuckled slightly. "But Sirius, I think, is looking at it as another act of rebellion – so it's a victory in his eyes."

I shook my head slightly. "He's actually happy that he's been excommunicated from his family? I'm…not surprised."

"Sadly, I know just what you mean. Anyway, he's staying with the Potters now, so it's likely that we'll have to propose the operation to them at the same time."

"I see," I said, frowning a moment. "I don't really fancy talking with James at this time, but I don't think we have much choice. Besides, the fact that they're both Animagi AND can withstand a werewolf bite without dying, which I cannot do, would make them extremely helpful to have on this…er, attack."

Remus nodded. "Thanks, again, Peter. This is…really important to me."

"Hey, it's important to me, too, mate." I said, clapping him on the arm. "We don't want another two hundred Moonies to spring up because we failed to act." Out of habit, we did the two-person version of the secret Marauder handshake, complete with miniature fireworks, butt bumps, and exploding bananas.

A nearby bar patron gave us a look like we were escaped mental patients, which both Remus and I returned with a blankly confused look, as though we'd done absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Right-o, chaps and lassies! Let's move on to some pure Marauder action and splendour! :D Come along, look lively!


	10. Balancing on Wandtip

**A/N: **This is the shortest chapter I've written in YEARS! o_0 But that's okay. I think it's effective at this length. :) If you want more, hey; all you gotta do is ask nicely! :)

I think you'll enjoy this new episode of...

* * *

><p><strong>Rise of the Fourth Marauder<strong>

**Chapter 10 – Balancing on Wandtip **

Remus and I then made a floo call to Sirius's bedroom in Godric's Hollow, using the bar's fireplace.

"Hullo!" Sirius's joyful voice exploded through the emerald flames almost immediately. "You have reached the Potter residence. May I take your order, please?"

Remus smiled, but I shushed Sirius. "Quiet, Padfoot – we're in an unsecure location. Would it be alright if Moony and I come over to talk?"

Sirius shrugged. "Well…I just brought over a couple Hispanic girls…" A bit of giggling was audible in the background.

"I'm sure the Potters deeply appreciate that," Remus chuckled. "But, unfortunately, we've got a problem…"

"Is it, er, related to your furry little problem?" he asked.

"It's…more like a furry, furry, furry, furry, furry little problem," I deadpanned.

His eyes widened. "Lots of furries, you mean?"

"Indeed," Remus said, looking more uncomfortable.

"That's…not good. At all. Okay, sure, come on through."

"Thanks! Are the girls…decent?" Remus asked nervously. More giggling from the girls in Sirius's room.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind the company of a couple more Marauders, no matter their state of dress!" he said with a wink. "Hey! Maybe we could get Prongs in here, and we could double…"

"Padfoot."

"Fine, fine, they're dressed," Sirius smirked. The girls giggled again, for no logical reason that I could deduce. "Get your cloaked arses over here, mates!"

"See you in a moment," I said, nodding to Remus to indicate for him to go first.

* * *

><p>Once I followed him dizzily through the fireplace and arrived in the rustic, spacious bedroom (which was very decked out in fine crimson linen and lit golden torches), I quickly realized that Sirius had failed to mention that his two female companions for the evening were arrestingly beautiful. The great splendor of Godric's Hallow paled in comparison to their radiant attractiveness. Their eyes, hair, skin…just SHONE!<p>

"H-holy crap!" I gasped. Remus seemed similarly in awe of them. The girls looked a little frightened by me for some reason, and stepped backwards. I looked away, not wanting to dilute the perfection of their beauty with my wandering gaze.

"Hey Wormy! How the hell are you doing, mate?" a shirtless Sirius asked, skipping forward and embracing me in an apparent show of friendship.

"Er…p-pretty good, thanks. But we don't really have time for pleasantries right now, Sirius."

He stood back and tossed his bountiful, wet, silky hair about. "But I feel I need to apologize for doubting you before…and for not contradicting what Prongs said at the party."

"Apology accepted, mate – I was never mad at you, anyway," I said, hoping to cut right to the chase if at all possible.

"Well, feel free to take a seat! Make yourselves at home – I've gotta see these girls out!" Sirius said, beckoning them over. "Hey, Consolata, Lucrecia, my darlings; I'm really, truly sorry that we didn't get a chance to talk more."

"That's alright, Sirius!" the taller one said. "We love just spending time with you! W-would it be okay if-if-if I wrote you?"

"It would be an honour and a privilege, milady," Sirius said, taking a bow. "I am undeserving of your friendship."

"Awww, you're so sweet!" the girl who spoke said, leaping forward and embracing him tightly while Remus, the other girl, and I all looked on with jealousy.

"Er…I'll be thinking of you until we meet again, Sirius." The girl who'd been left out of the hug said anxiously. "I've never felt as valued by a man as I have tonight."

Sirius chuckled and lifted his other arm, inviting the second girl to enter the hug. She did so with a jubilant giggle, while Remus and I gave each other looks of impatience and deep annoyance.

"You're both very precious to me," Sirius said, squeezing them close. "Know that you both will always be welcome in my heart!"

"AWWWW, SIRIUS!" they sang in unison. I looked at my pocketwatch. We only had an hour till the rendezvous.

"Um, Sirius…" I started, softly.

"Just a minute!" he said sharply, squeezing them tight and kissing them both passionately on the lips. "Until we meet again, my angels!"

"Bye…" the first girl breathed, clearly aroused beyond all reason.

"I don't want to go!" the second cried, squeezing him tighter, lifting her leg up to semi-straddle him. "I need you, Sirius!"

"I'm sorry, luv, but you must. I have to save the world, you understand."

"O-okay. Just be careful!" she gasped, drying her tears. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I won't keep you," he said with a kind smile. "Farewell!"

The girls gasped more, sighed more, and finally blew him kisses before leaving through the fireplace.

"Okay, so…I've gotta ask…how did you GET those girls?" I said incredulously. "They're the most beautiful beings I've ever SEEN!"

"Mate; I'm Sirius Black," he said, with an egotistical flip of his hair. "I can't NOT get laid with any girl I want."

"I don't doubt that," Remus said. "But now we've urgently got to talk. Here, read this letter," he said, handing it over to Sirius.

Sirius quickly skimmed it before handing it back. "Werewolves being able to transform at any time is…BAD," he told us needlessly.

"You're a sharp one," I commented.

"So, what are we gonna do about it?" he asked, his features forming a wild grin. "We're going to bust their party, aren't we?"

"You're damn right we are." I grinned back. "Our primary target is Fenrir Greyback, however; Remus suspects that, without him, the others will break rank and start fighting in mindless chaos. Naturally, we'll need to get out of there as soon as possible, since, as you know, werewolves are extremely difficult to take on."

"Too right, they are," Sirius said, running his hands through his hair. "We'll need to make a quick list of spells that are effective on werewolves, and make sure we're all capable of executing them." He looked up to Remus. "So we're just going to all port there together?"

"Yes, but the two of you will be Disillusioned," Remus said, starting to look more upbeat about things. "I think we should be ready to attack as soon as we arrive, just in case it's a trap. Ostensibly, the two of you could maneuver beside Greyback and attack him point-blank, at which point I'll join in the battle."

"What do we know about Greyback's fighting style?" I asked. "Do you remember anything about it from his attack on you, back then?"

Remus winced a little. "I…honestly don't like to think about that…it's…a pretty traumatic event for me."

Sirius patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "It's alright, mate." He looked at the clock on the wall. "Fifty minutes…hmm…it seems that, first, we ought to research his past battles. And Peter, can you jot down all spells you know that may be effective?"

"Certainly."

"Alright – also, obviously, we should have James remain here, just in case something happens to the Portkey and we can't return," Sirius said, stroking his chin.

"Nice! Good thinking!" I said. "It's always good to have a backup escape plan." Sirius and James are both really intelligent, despite their often idiotic antics, and both have a great talent for strategy. James is the best of us at Transfiguration, while Sirius excels at offensive spellwork.

He nodded. "He and I each carry a magazine enchanted with the Protean Charm, which notifies us when the other's in trouble. I can activate it if we need him to come pull us out. I'll just go and make sure he has it on his person."

"Is there a Tracking Charm on your copy, so he knows where you are?" Remus asked to make sure.

"Of course," he said with a smirk.

"Alright," I said, folding my arms and nodding. "I also have a similarly charmed brooch from the Prewitt family, so I can call on them as well, if worst comes to worst. This sounds pretty promising, don't you think, Remus?"

"It does…but I'm not leaving that cave until Greyback meets his end," he said, gritting his teeth.

"We'll make it happen," I said, patting him on the arm. My heart was pounding in trepidation, however. The famed mass murderer was on an entirely different level than the Carrow family and Snape. So many brave, adult witches and wizards had already given their lives trying to do him in.

But that's why we must succeed – so no one else comes to harm!

"No shield surrounds the caster entirely," I said. "So attacking him from all angles is our best bet, if we can pull it off."

"He might apparate away, too, so we need to be quick and precise with our casting," Sirius added.

"Of course," Remus said, sitting on the bed and glowering. "Though there's also a good chance that he and the werewolves will be able to pick up your human scents. The scent of a werewolf is much stronger, though, so I'm hoping that there will be enough of them there so that your scents will get lost in the mix."

"Right-o. Wormy, get started with that list of spells. There's parchment on the desk." Sirius instructed. "Moony, come with me and help me dig around in Greyback's past."

"Right," Remus and I said, getting to work.

Excited to be useful and thrilled to be going on a Marauder mission once again, I rushed over to the desk and started scouring my memories for spells that would affect werewolves.

In a transformed state, the werewolf is resistant to almost all magic, although physical attacks can still scratch or bruise it. In other words – we really don't want to have to fight a transformed Greyback, though there's always a strong chance that he will be already transformed when we arrive. If that's the case, I'll need to let off one of my family spells immediately. Fortunately, animagi forms are typically ignored by werewolves, and are immune to their poison, so Sirius and I can pull that as a backup plan, if needed.

When werewolves are in wizard form, they still retain a bit of their resistances, but are generally vulnerable to anything stronger than an ordinary hex. They also have NO resistance to spells which deal physical damage, which makes such spells and much transfiguration-based offensive spellwork advisable.

So, let's see…

_For use against non-transformed werewolves:_

_Sagittus (Arrow-Shooting Charm)_

_Foro (Shield Penetration Spell)_

_Incarcerous_

_Lacarnum Inflamarae (Flame Burst Charm)_

_Expulso (Detonation Curse)_

_Confringo (Blasting Curse)_

_Diffindo (Severing Charm)_

_Duro_

_Auris Siccavita (Ear-shriveling curse)_

_Verdimillious_

_Glacius_

_Petrificus Totalus_

_Bombarda Maxima_

_Cutio Infictus (Toxic Infestation Curse)_

_Deprimo (Gravity Charm)_

_Any transfiguration spells involving blades or puncturing weaponry_

_*Pettigrew family spells_

There we go. It's kind of disorganized, and of course my handwriting's shite, but I'm certain that each of those spells, when used by a powerful wizard, will damage a werewolf in wizard form. I have no idea how many of these my companions are able to cast, however. I would assume not all of them. At any rate, I'd best go share my report, so we can continue preparing!

I got up eagerly and made for the door, but jumped when it opened unexpectedly, revealing an angry-looking James Potter.

"H-hey, Prongs," I began nervously.

He shut the door behind him and folded his arms. "You're in my home, Peter, but I don't recall inviting you. I'd like to ask you to leave."

My chest tightened. It hurt to see James treating me like this. "Listen, mate, we're going on a mission to…"

"I know about the mission," he growled. "And you don't have the right to call me 'mate.' You're neither my friend nor a Marauder. Now get out."

We stood, staring at one another for a moment before I responded. "No. I need to be here for when they leave."

"Peter, I said I'm aware of it." He said, a threatening tone in his voice. "I'm going to replace you on the mission. I already checked with them. You're the one on rescue duty now." He held out his hand. "Give me the list. They sent me to take it from you before sending you away. No one wants you here."

I turned away, trying to contain my tears. I felt very empty, betrayed, and cold…why am I so weak when it comes to these guys? Why do I care so much that they want to discard me? Am I that untrustworthy?

"I don't believe you," I said hollowly. "They asked me to come with them."

"Everyone knows you're up to something," James said, walking around to speak to my contorted face. "I know you're into Dark magic now; it's obvious that you're hiding all kinds of things from the others." He poked me in the chest, scowling. "You're not even vaguely Peter anymore. I've known Peter Pettigrew for five years…and nothing of him remains in your eyes any longer. How much Dark magic have you delved into for you to change this much?"

"None," I said, chin held high. "I merely decided to better myself, in light of the Dark Lord's coming. We have to be ready for him."

"I said it before, and I'll say it again: you're a weak little shite and a coward. That's all you'll ever be," James growled. "You'd be useless on a mission, and, heh, you've probably even set up this whole thing as a trap. There's no way in hell you're going as part of the attacking force."

"I might be a coward, but I'm not weak," I shouted. "You saw what I did at the Festival! You KNOW I'm the only one of us who stands a chance at bringing down a transformed werewolf. There's no way in hell I'm NOT going, and that's final."

He groaned. "Just give me the god damned list."

"No," I growled, stuffing it in my pocket. "I'll deliver it to them myself. And we'll see if they truly don't want my help, or if you're lying out your arse."

"You're the liar," he said, eyes narrowing. "ARE you even Peter anymore? You're acting like fucking Snivellus these days."

"I don't care what you think," I growled. "But my sole purpose in life now is to defeat the Dark Lord, and I'll do it with or without your help. Whether you want to admit it or not, though, we're on the same side."

"Bullshit!"

"We are. And that's a fact, POTTER. I don't honestly care if we're friends at all anymore, not if this, how you're acting right now, is who you truly are. Either way, it's in your best interest to stay out of my fucking way and let me fight against the Dark Lord myself."

"You think YOU have a chance of defeating him?! How stupid ARE you?"

"Well, it can't hurt to try."

"What the fuck are you talking about? How can it NOT hurt to try? And if you're sloppy enough, you may end up pointing him to the rest of us from your corpse."

"Oh, so you believe me now, that I want to kill him?"

"I don't believe a single fucking thing you say!"

"Then that's your problem, midget-dick!"

James threw his fist at me, but I quickly ducked and charged into his abdomen, knocking him backwards. Unfortunately, he grabbed me as he fell and hurled me backwards, my face smashing into the window. As I dizzily backed away, he grabbed me by my shoulders and slammed my face repeatedly into the glass, the pain screeching through my head.

I coiled up and thrust backwards, knocking the asshole off me, before whirling about, blood streaming down my face, and rushing forward to tackle him to the floor.

"Get off me, fatass!" he snapped, struggling underneath me, but I clubbed my fist down on his face with all my might, producing a satisfying crunch. He screamed in fury, grabbing me across the waist and trying to throw me off, but I was pressing down as hard as I could, rendering myself quite stationary.

"Oi! What's going on here?" Sirius's voice spoke from the door.

"Hey guys, nothing much," I said casually, standing up off my attacker, wincing from the pain in my shredded face. "We were just having a little private discussion, weren't we, Prongs?"

"Fuck you," he replied, standing up and dusting off his expensive coat.

"Er…James, we were wondering if we could count on you to come rescue us if Sirius summons you," Remus said hesitantly.

Aha! So James WAS lying about talking with them. I knew it! OW! Face…in pain…ugh. He must've been listening in to our conversation somehow. So…maybe the reason he was so angry just now was because…he'd been feeling left out?

"…Whatever," he muttered, thrusting his hands in his pockets. "I see how it is." Yeah, that's what's going on. He obviously felt replaced by me. As well as deeply mistrustful of me, evidently.

Sirius spoke up, "Er, Prongs, it makes sense tactically to…"

"No. No, it doesn't. But, yes, I'll come help if you guys get into trouble," he said bitterly. "But Moony, this course of action is so unlike you that I have to wonder whether you've been spending a little too much around Pettigrew recently…"

Remus looked a little surprised. "James, this was solely my idea. I have to do this; if only so I can sleep on a clean conscience – if there's any way at all to curtail the spread of this awful new potion, then…"

"I agree wholeheartedly with THAT sentiment, mate," James said, folding his arms and looking at him seriously. "But you're making this solely about revenge rather than taking a more measured approach, by, like, turning this over to the Ministry or Dumbledore or something…"

Remus laughed shortly. "James, the Ministry would have my head on a platter if we went to them! Does the phrase 'unregistered werewolf' ring a bell? This is all the proof they'd ever need to throw me in Azkaban, since I've been incognito all this time. And don't talk out your arse – you've never been a proponent of the measured approach, in any situation!"

James tapped his forehead. "I may usually prefer charging in and taking care of business, but you have to admit that this plan is suicidal, at best. Why not just go to Dumbledore and just enjoy the rest of the holidays in safety?"

"I could never sit by and let someone else do the dirty work," Remus growled. "This is my race, my mortal enemy. MY problem. If it was you, you know you'd feel the same."

"You're right," James said with a frown after a moment. "I probably would. But you wouldn't. Are you sure Peter hasn't…"

"Oi, give it a rest, James!" Sirius snapped. "If we can't trust Peter, who the hell CAN we trust? We can't afford to be this paranoid with our closest longtime friends."

I laughed nervously at the irony inherent in THAT statement, given the betrayal I'd dealt them all in the future.

"Speaking of which, Padfoot; we're going to have to have a talk about just who you're allowed to bring into our home while you're staying here," James added, looking at me for a moment before returning his gaze to Sirius. "Those girls you brought in could have been anyone under Polyjuice, you know."

"Oh, I tested 'em," Sirius said with a wink. "And they were DEFINITELY women."

"That's not what I…oh, whatever. I hope you guys know what you're doing," he allowed. He started to walk away before turning to me again and muttering, "Sorry about the window thing. I got a little carried away, I guess."

I slid my hands about my blood-leaking face, removing any glass shards that I could find. "Don't worry about it. But try to think on what I said – we ARE on the same…"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear another word of your lies, Pettigrew," James growled. "You'd better not do anything to bring harm to my friends."

"You have my word that I'd never do something like that."

He stared at me discerningly for a moment before shrugging and turning to go out the door. "What good is the word of a rat?" he said as a parting shot.

After he left, Remus turned to me and gulped. "Sorry for abandoning you up here, Peter – did he start it?"

I nodded. "Naturally." I handed my now-severely-crumpled list of spells to Remus. "Here, check these out. I need to go get my face healed."

"That makes sense. You look horrible."

"I appreciate that."

"No problem. So, do you want to hear the results of our research?"

"In a bit – I'm pretty sure my nose is barely staying on my face at the moment," I said, chuckling as the blood seeped between my lips. "I'll meet you back here as soon as I can."

"You're not going to St. Mungo's, are you? That could take a while," Sirius asked.

"Nah, my mom's a mediwitch, she can help."

* * *

><p>With precisely two minutes remaining before Greyback's scheduled rendezvous, I flooed back to Sirius's bedroom with a freshly healed, relatively painless face. I still felt slightly shaken and bitter by my encounter with James, though. Why was he being so stubborn about me? He must have mentally labeled me as an enemy now, so he regards me as something like Snape.<p>

Whatever. No time to think about that now, as distressing as it is. I've got werewolves to slay!

"I'm back!" I announced with a smile. Both were sitting on the bed, looking tense.

"Nice. Just in time," Sirius grinned back to me. "Ready to kick arse?"

"I am indeed. Are the two of you fluent in most of the spells on that list I gave you?"

"Eh, we can use a handful of them, each," Sirius replied, scratching the back of his head.

"We practiced some of them while you were gone, and generally warmed up," Remus explained. "Not strenuously, though. Our magic is blistering at the moment, primed for release." He grinned wickedly, a sight rarely seen on Remus. "They won't know what hit them!"

"Agreed," I said. "Time to use the Disillusionment Charm then, is it?"

"Indeed." Remus said. "Allow me." He murmured the incantation and tapped me on the head with his wand, the familiar runny-egg feeling coating my body.

"Very nicely done!" Sirius complimented as Remus strode over to do the same to him. "He looks well and truly invisible!"

"Speaking of which, did you check with James to see if he'd lend us his Cloak, by any chance?" I wondered.

"Nah, he's still really bitchy," Sirius replied as he slowly disappeared. "He'd most likely refuse just because he's not coming, as a way to get back at us."

"Sounds about right," I muttered. "He really needs to clean up his attitude if he wants Lily to ever fancy him."

"Well, he'd never act like this to her, naturally," Remus said. "But she's not stupid – she knows how much of an arse he is to most everyone else, so you're right, of course – he needs to clean up his behavior a bit." He shook his head. "Why does he even like her, anyway? Sure, she's gorgeous, but she's never shown him anything but utter hatred!"

"I'm fairly certain that's a large part of her appeal. But focus now, boys," Sirius declared. "Let's go over the plan once more, just so we're fully prepared and ready to strike."

"Aye, Captain Padfoot!" Remus and I said, saluting his Disillusioned self.

"At ease. Now; when we use the Portkey, I'll be standing on Moony's left, with Wormy on Moony's right. While Wormy and I attempt to slip away from Moony unnoticed, Moony will proceed to act as though he's attending the meeting as a loyal supporter of Greyback. As soon as we're both in position to get a clean shot, Peter and I will nail Greyback with the most powerful spell in our arsenal – excluding Peter's Family Curses for now, due to the meeting likely taking place in either a cave or a building, for fear of causing a cave-in. Remus will immediately join in, and, with us attacking from three differing angles, the motherfucker should be hit fairly easily."

"Sir!" Remus and I shouted.

"Our analysis of Greyback's past conquests indicates that he relies on brute strength over magic quite often, so it's very likely that we'll have little trouble bringing him down with powerful curses. At this point, chaos will ensue, and we'll likely be prime targets for attack. If this is indeed the case, Peter and I will enter our Animagi forms, while Remus casts primarily defensive spells and escapes from the mob as well as he can. We will not activate the Portkey until all three of us are reunited, no matter what. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Now," Sirius said, "Be aware that there are a number of variables at play here. In order to make the most of this attack, we must be ready to alter our strategy as the situation demands. Greyback may already be in his werewolf form, at which point Peter will use his one of his Family Spells to subdue him. Greyback may not even be present at first, or ever! Remember that we can always rely on Moony's natural defenses, as well as Peter's sheer power and my aerial mobility. I'm bringing my trusty Nimbus 1001 shrunken in my pocket, you see."

"No, we don't see, you're Disillusioned, Sir!"

"Yes, well…Lads, we must be as the Borneon Sky Serpent and be one with the wind, shifting with the tides of the air as needed, constantly at alert and ready to subdue all who challenge us."

"Sir!"

"Are you ready, Marauders?!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"Then let's do this!" Sirius screamed.

"MARAUDERS, HO!" we roared in unison.

The three of us stood together, thoroughly pumped. Using a gloved hand, Remus produced the Portkey from his robe: a bronze-dipped oak leaf.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked.

"Yes," Sirius said decisively.

This was it – once I said yes, there was no backing out. But I owe it to Remus, and I must deal out justice…sorry, Molly. I have no choice. I have to muster my anger and do this.

"Yes. I'm ready." I said, raising my hand near the leaf.

Remus looked around with a steely gaze. "Then…three…two…one…GO!"

We all clutched the leaf as one, the familiarly navel-sucking sensation carrying us somewhere distant…

* * *

><p>After an unusually long time in transit, the three of us landed somewhere quite dark. The floor was certainly made of stone, though.<p>

"You came after all," a slow, unrecognizable male voice issued nearby – was it Greyback, perhaps? Regardless, his words didn't sound too promising for our continued survival.

My eyes adjusted enough for me to realize that we were in a large, domed room, lit only by a weak blue light…one that continually shimmered, as though the source of the light was in some body of water. Was this an underwater structure of some sort? The building looked quite ancient and rustic, whatever it was. The architecture seemed somewhat Grecian to my eyes, though I'm certainly no expert.

"I did, indeed," Remus continued. "I'm here to reunite with my kin."

Surprisingly, his words were met with snickers from all around us. I only then realized that everyone other than us was draped in cloaks of black, their faces hidden. Could it be?

I peered at the speaker, finally spotting his silver mask. Death Eaters. It's a fucking trap. We are DEAD. No, no, we're not. We can get out of this…somehow.

Mind racing, I leaned in to the others. "Trap. Use the Portkey," I murmured, hopefully just loud enough for Sirius and Remus to hear. Remus paled, visibly panicking. Unfortunately, it turned out that the room had an echo, and even I heard my soft words repeated on end. This brought more laughs, of course.

"Unfortunately for you lot, and, yes, I am well aware that there's more than one of you," the massive Death Eater in front of us said, "I'm afraid you'll find your Portkey quite useless now. I deactivated its return function as soon as you arrived. And don't bother apparating away, as this place has been securely warded by the Dark Lord himself. You are now our…guests. Surrender your wands and no harm will come to you…for now." Yet more hysterical cackles arose.

I felt Sirius pull me in to a huddle in front of Remus. "I'm taking the skies, you take the floor," he whispered in my ear, clearly realizing that our original plan would no longer work.

"Roger."

As I prepared the Pettigrew Earthrending Curse, I saw Sirius's broomstick get unshrunk in midair.

"You are hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded. I'm afraid that engaging us would be laughably unwise. But, then, wisdom was never a Gryffindor's strong point, was it?" A familiar male voice said from beside us, but I couldn't place his identity. "Very well, then -"

"_CRUCIO!_" a mighty chorus of Death Eaters screamed, and at least 35 beams of bright red surged towards us from all corners of the room, illuminating the chamber in demonic light. Sirius's broom ascended immediately, an Expulso at the ready.

"_Terra Erumpant!_" I bellowed, releasing all my pent up magic and aiming the behemoth spines of earth to rip all throughout the broad circle.

Remus attempted to lay down some shields, but they succumbed to the flood of Cruciatus Curses fairly easily. We both screamed in unhinged, incomprehensible pain, but I forced myself and my friend up, just in time to see some blood finish raining down from my Earthrending Curse. I had apparently nailed a few of them!

"_Glacio! Duro! Confringo!" _I heard Sirius cast forcefully, raining a variety of spells down on the enemy. Most were blocked or dodged, but at least he was distracting them.

An influx of violet and crimson spells speared toward Remus and I again from the Death Eaters as we ducked, rolled to the floor, and returned fire with a _Deprimo_ and a _Confringo_, respectively.

A Death Eater stepped forward and launched a jet of blisteringly hot liquid at us, which I only barely sprang out of the way for – it badly scalded my right arm.

"HOLY FUCK!" I heard Sirius cry, as he ducked and weaved to escape three ghastly green heads that were following his every move, in addition to other spells being casted at him. "_Lacarnum Inflamarae!_" he cast desperately.

"Know any spells that might help us out?" I grimaced to Remus, stopping shielding for a moment to cast three _Verdimillious_ in a row at distracted Death Eaters, two of which hit. Another torrent of burning water surged towards us, which I hurriedly blocked by raising a wall of stone.

"I just might. _Lapis Laterous!_" he said, beseeching the stone bricks in the walls of the room to fly about and destroy anyone they could. Roughly fifty blocks began zipping about, catching many of our enemies unawares and cracking them in their skulls or crotches. "We really need to ESCAPE, not fight, though."

"Agreed, let's…" I abruptly stopped talking when two Death Eaters broke rank and sprinted forth, casting spells at an impossible speed. They must have been under a Charm of some kind. At any rate, I could only block so much with my thick shields before they were shattered, leaving me completely open to take an Ear-Shriveling Curse, a Cruciatus, a Chimera Charm, and several others before Remus stepped in with an assault of his own.

I screamed in pain, liquid spewing out from all over my body from the abuse. "DIE! _Expulso!_" I shrieked, smacking those two with the most powerful Detonation Curse I'd ever unleashed, sending their speed-juiced bodies flying across the room, smacking into the wall.

"Look out!" Sirius screamed, and Remus and I dodged and rolled and instinct before a pulsing beam of seemingly pure magical energy burst from an enormous Death Eater, which was powerful enough to melt whatever stone blocks were still flying throughout the air. Fortunately, Sirius turned him to stone before he could direct it to melt one of us.

There were still countless Death Eaters remaining, and they were PISSED now, casting a multitude of nonverbal Dark spells.

"Okay blokes, we HAVE to leave, now," Sirius said, his broom returning to the floor and redirecting as many spells as he could. "Use another Earthrend, Wormy, then get on board and I'll blast our way-"

One of the ghostly heads still in pursuit nailed Sirius from behind, knocking him forwards to the ground and sending him into twitching shock, his eyes rolling back in his head, foam spewing from his mouth, and his skin immediately turning purple and crusty.

"No! Sirius!" Remus cried in concern as I unleashed my second _Earthrending Curse, _my body convulsing with damaged exhaustion as blood bubbled from my eyes and mouth. Unfortunately, the Death Eaters were much more on their toes this time and leapt forth, countering me immediately with such a surging influx of painful Dark spells that my consciousness soon gave way to the empty blackness of defeat.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yay! XD Death! Destruction! Girls! All the best things in life, gathered in one chapter! ;)

Okay, hopefully you were okay with the fact that the Marauders put up something of a fight. If not, I'm sorry, but I just thought it'd be a huge disappointment not to have them at least fight back a little. :) You can chalk it up to the fact that the Death Eaters either expected a quick surrender or an easy kill. And also consider the fact that Sirius is both invisible and a beast on a broom, that Peter's a prodigy, and that Remus has a werewolf's stamina and resistances (coupled with his own excellence in spellwork). I like the way it turned out, anyway. As if that means anything, lol.

Regardless...it just so happens that I would like to hear what you thought of this chapter. Strange, isn't it? What do you think of the Marauders' characterizations? Any questions/input about the way I'm handling Peter?

I do hope you'll continue tuning in! Don't miss next week's episode of Rise of the Fourth Marauder! We're gonna get DARK here for a bit, ladies and gentlemen! No more humor for the next three chapters or so...(evil grin)

P.S. I hope it's updated next week, but I was using that phrase metaphorically. ;) I'll attempt to hold myself to it, nonetheless! Especially if I get some encouraging reviews. :)


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